Employer: High-wage tech firm

2,000 employees averaging $220k, 85% enrolled at about $18,000 employer share.

Result

−$2,381,250

#	Step	Arithmetic	Value
1	Annual payroll		$440,000,000
2	Health premiums paid before		$30,600,000
3	Payroll above the $250,000 exemption payrollExemption	max(0, $440,000,000 − $250,000)	$439,750,000
4	Health payroll tax at 7.5% employerTaxRate		$32,981,250
5	Change (positive = employer saves)	$30,600,000 − $32,981,250	−$2,381,250

Input	Kind	Value
Payroll exempt per employer	policy, high confidence	$250,000
Employer health payroll tax rate	policy, high confidence	7.5%

Trade-off: Pays more: 7.5% of very high wages exceeds per-person premiums. High-wage industries subsidize low-wage ones.