Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn criticized the U.S. Senate Health Care overhaul bill Jan. 11 for “increasing the cost of health care for King County government and its employees.” Dunn said that a tax on what President Barack Obama and the U.S. Senate refer to as “Cadillac” health plans is actually a tax on local government. “There is no question that King County’s health plans are extremely generous but taxing a local government who is being generous to its employees seems a bit ridiculous,” said Dunn. The U.S. Senate Health Care plan would apparently tax insurance companies for plans that cost more than $8,500 per person or $23,000 per family. Many of King County’s medical benefit plans would be subject to the tax. Insurance companies would likely pass the tax on to their consumers. Dunn says this could potentially cost King County tens of millions of dollars at a time when the county is facing a major budget crisis. President Obama said it helps to reduce the cost of health care over the long term.
