New STEWARD Health Care Study Released

STEWARD has released a new study detailing the disastrous impact ObamaCare will have on New Hampshire's businesses. The Union Leader reports:

New Hampshire's business community would pay $215 million to $229 million to comply with a Democratic-sponsored health care reform bill that has advanced in the House of Representatives, a new study by two conservative economists says.

J. Scott Moody and Dr. Wendy P. Warcholik, writing for Republican activist Fred Tausch's grassroots STEWARD group, conclude that H.R. 3200 contains "hidden penalties for New Hampshire businesses" that will hurt their ability to compete for jobs in an international market.

They criticize the bill's so-called "play-or-pay" mandate and its provision to impose three new marginal brackets to the federal income tax to partially pay for health care reform.

"In the long run," say the authors, "this will discourage job creation in New Hampshire and reduce access to quality health care."

Among the study's key findings:

• The "play-or-pay" health insurance mandate would cost Granite State businesses $215 million to $229 million.
  
  
• New Hampshire businesses that file through the individual tax code would face a combined income tax rate of 47.25%
  
  
• State business owners would face a higher income tax burden than Canada, France and Italy.

Here is the full text of the study:

STEWARD Health Care Study