Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

President Proposes to Make Tax Benefits of Health Savings Accounts More Lucrative for Higher-Income Individuals – Revised 1/26/04

The President’s proposal to permit individuals with Health Savings Accounts to deduct their health insurance premium costs would do little to help low- and moderate-income uninsured families obtain health insurance, would primarily benefit the higher-income individuals who can already use HSAs as a lucrative tax shelter, and would further weaken comprehensive employer-based coverage.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has plenty of wonkish article — check it out. mjh

CBO Figures Indicate Lower Revenues, Not Higher Spending, Account For The Large Deficit – 1/26/04
New CBO estimates show revenues in 2004 will be exceptionally low, falling to their smallest share of GDP since 1950. Spending won’t be particularly high; as a share of GDP it will be lower than throughout the administrations of Presidents Carter and Reagan, and the first President Bush.

The advocates of ”starve the beast” (kill the federal government by cutting off funds) are still demanding less spending, and in this they are a bit frustrated with Bush and the Republicans in Congress. mjh