A key economic advisor to President Barack Obama would not rule out the possibility of taxing employer health benefits for employees – an approach the president opposed while campaigning against Republican challenger Sen. John McCain, who supported the idea.

“He is still opposed to it,” said Christina Romer, chair of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, speaking on “Meet the Press” Sunday (March 15). “He certainly was very critical and very skeptical of it. It is certainly not in our proposal. And we have proposed other ways to, to deal with health care and to fund it. And so no, it is not something that he supports.”

When pressed on whether it was off the table by host David Gregory, Romer said, “I’m not going to say one way or the other.”

Several weeks ago, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee opened the door to taxing health insurance benefits provided by employers. The majority of Americans receive benefits from their employers; it is not taxed as income.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said “a tax provision should be on the table,” according to a report from Reuters. He added that the pre-tax accounting for health premiums is “too aggressive. It skews the system.”

Baucus wants to limit the tax benefit, not eliminate it, the report said.

As small businesses struggle with the bad economy, many are choosing to cut health benefits offered to employees, in many cases as a means of staying in business.

About 45.5 million U.S. residents lack health insurance, including about 11 million who have access but choose not to take it. About 160 million workers in the U.S. receive health benefits through work, where group benefits are cheaper than if obtained as an individual.