Magnifying glass over wooden people on a gray background

Leveraging Tax Data to Measure the Potential Impact of Broadening Social Security’s Revenue Base

Working Paper by Karen E. Smith and Richard W. Johnson

April 28, 2025

This paper measures the prevalence, value, and distribution of certain fringe benefits that are currently excluded from Social Security’s Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) contribution base, including employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) and employer contributions to health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and dependent care benefits…

Stethoscope and wooden blocks shaped like people on a blue background

How Will Employer Health Insurance Affect Wages and Social Security?

Issue Brief by Anqi Chen, Alicia H. Munnell, and Diana Horvath

April 9, 2024

The rising cost of employer contributions to employer-sponsored health insurance (ESHI) can slow wage growth and erode the Social Security wage base. Both these effects were evident in the decades before 2005, as ESHI increased as a share of compensation. Fortunately, the ratio of ESHI contributions to compensation plateaued after 2005, stabilizing wages and halting…