Subject: Fair treatment of medical expense and health insurance Comment: Fair treatment of medical expense and health insurance The tax bias toward employer and self employed health insurance relative to individual health insurance should be ended. And at the same time, HIPAA should be strengthened so that people who have developed a health condition under a group policy can buy a regular individual policy (and later change to another individual policy) without higher rates or being in a separate risk pool. HIPAA eligibles are responsible people who got their insurance through their jobs and should not be penalized unlike those who skip insurance altogether until they are sick. A reinsurance plan should be used to protect insurers against risk of too many HIPAA clients. Also, the floor for medical insurance deductibility should be removed and health insurance and medically necessary health expense bededucted "above the line" by everyone including people who take the standard deduction. |