It is difficult to gauge whether the loss ratio is pegged at the correct amount, as well as what impact it could have on dentists and patients, according to a cSPA report.
Why are Massachusetts dentists and orthodontists spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a campaign to change the rules governing dental insurance? Evan Horowitz, executive director of cSPA, has the answer in a report released Thursday: money.
According to an analysis by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis, the pool of wealthy households in Massachusetts changes dramatically year to year with only about half consistently earning incomes of more than $1 million.
But it's also not plausible to say well, [millionaires tax revenue] could end up anywhere, there are really no fences on it. There are fences on it and the fences are - what is it people and the legislators want to put their money towards?"
The report by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis concluded that while the ballot question clearly states that the money must be devoted to education and transportation, not all the surtax revenue is likely to be spent in those areas.
The tax could still generate $1.3 billion a year, according to a January report (Evaluating the Massachusetts Millionaires Tax) prepared by the Center for State Policy Analysis
Where the money goes "depends on a lot of different factors," Horowitz said. "How strong are the unions pushing for you to use this money in a particular way? How accountable are your politicians? How easy is it to count up the money?"
In 2019, just 0.6% of Massachusetts households boasted incomes above $1 million — yet they accounted for 22% of all taxable income, the Center for State Policy Analysis said in January.
It would add an estimated $1.3 billion in annual revenue for the state, according to a report published this year by the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University.