On Health Care Policy, Romney Favors G.O.P. Consensus.

[elleng]

Mr. Romney’s plan, like those being proposed by Republicans in Congress, would put more emphasis on controlling health costs and less on reducing the ranks of the uninsured, the primary goal of the Obama plan. Conservatives say the new law does not seriously address rising health costs, a major factor in the high cost of insurance.

One of Mr. Romney’s chief proposals could shake up how the vast majority of Americans now get their health care — through their employers. He would give a tax break to people who buy insurance individually on the open market, so they would enjoy the same advantage as workers who get insurance as a fringe benefit at work, which is not taxed as income.

Aides to Mr. Romney said tax parity would introduce more consumer awareness of the costs of health insurance, and competition among insurers would drive down costs.

A tax incentive to buy insurance “has the potential to be significant,” said Lanhee Chen, Mr. Romney’s policy director. “It can be something that really moves our health care system in a good direction.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/us/politics/parsing-a-romney-alternative-to-obamas-health-care-law.html?hp

[Gman]

1. It's part of the ploy

To tax the poor.

[SDjack]

2. Wages will remain the same, but the cost of insurance will be

transferred to the employees. The money saved by the corporations will fuel the compensation increases of the CEOs and senior managers.