Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits

Congress is seriously considering proposals to provide tax credits or other subsidies to employers who offer wellness programs that meet federal criteria. In addition, lawmakers said they would make it easierfor employers to use financial rewards or penalties to promote healthy behavior among employees.

Critics say that holding people financially responsible for their health behavior is potentially unfair and that employers have no business prying into their employees’ private lives.

If, for example, an employer pays the cost of gym membership for employees as part of a wellness program, the payment is often counted as taxable income to employees.

Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents 300 large employers, said, “We would like Congress to change the law so it would not be taxable income if an employer provides a benefit to help employees stay healthy.”

老子说，治大国犹如烹小鲜，折腾不得，政府对私人的干预越少越好。但是，我们看到，民主党人士的这种法律提案说明其是在为选民工作的，而且这种立法也不是强制干预企业的行为，而只是引诱企业的行为，即你为员工提供 prevention and wellness，员工并不会因此而产生额外的税收（而现行税法的规定是，只要是员工在企业获得的收入，不管是货币还是物质的，都算taxable收入），这算是一种激励，另一种激励是对企业的，即你为员工增加了身体健康，我就减你的税。这种杠杆的想法是好的，执行起来有点麻烦。

在我国，人民代表大会的召开，原则上时代表们提案，然后就解散离开，由常委会组织几个专业委员会进行日常的立法和修改法律的工作。平时立法还要征求一下意见。