Joint custody: bipartisan interest expands scope of tax-credit proposals

The Bush administration's proposal to use tax credits to cover the uninsured has not attracted enough bipartisan support to make headway in a divided Congress. Democratic objections have centered on the administration's insistence that the credits be used primarily in the individual market. But bipartisan exploration of alternative credit designs has continued on Capitol Hill. Democratic proposals to include health coverage for laid-off workers in debate over the post-September 11 economic stimulus package and more recently in the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act have resulted in increased awareness that tax credits might be used for employer groups as well as in the nongroup market.