• New NASE Program Offers Hope For Self-Employed Struggling With High Health Care Costs
• SBHP Legislation Stalls in Senate
• Tax Package Clears Congress, Goes to President for Signature
• Member Poll: Cover the Uninsured

New NASE Program Offers Hope For Self-Employed Struggling With High Health Care Costs

While Congress debates myriad health care proposals this spring and summer, 51 percent of micro-business owners cannot provide health coverage for their employees or themselves. To provide practical help to the micro-business community while the policy debate continues, the NASE last week launched the Your Health, Your Choice program, designed to educate and empower self-employed individuals and micro-business owners to take control over their own health care. “Time is of the essence for the 18 million self-employed Americans trying to cope with the burden of rising health care costs. They simply cannot afford to wait for Congress to act.,” said Robert Hughes, president of NASE. “Your Health, Your Choice provides practical information about the many health care options available to sole proprietors and micro-business owners to arm them with the facts they need to find the coverage that's best for them.” NASE Executive Director Kristie Darien discusses the health care guide. Joining the NASE at last week’s Capitol Hill briefing were Representative Don Manzullo, R-Ill., Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, and Representative Melissa Hart, R-Penn., who both recently introduced legislation to eliminate the inequity in current tax law that penalizes small-business owners by requiring them to pay an extra tax on their premiums. “Approximately 60 percent of Americans that do not have health insurance work for small businesses,” said Hart. “H.R. 4961, the Self-Employed Health Care Affordability Act of 2006, is specifically designed to close this gap and help the self-employed and employees get coverage by correcting an inequity that unfairly punishes them. Large corporations not only have the ability to deduct health care premiums, they are also able to negotiate lower prices from insurance companies. This legislation helps to level the playing field for the self-employed by allowing them to do the same and lower the economic burden to obtain coverage for themselves and their employees.” While the legislation will help level the playing field for the self-employed from a tax standpoint, Manzullo also noted the importance of education. “I applaud the NASE for its Your Health, Your Choice program to educate and inform self-employed and micro-business owners about their health care options. Surging health care costs remain the number one concern for small businesses in America, and it's great to see this organization taking the initiative to help.” The Your Health, Your Choice program features a comprehensive guidebook and new Web site --- http://health.NASE.org -- available to everyone with an interest in controlling soaring health care costs. Designed with the self-employed individual or micro-business owner in mind, these resources are free and contain valuable information to benefit anyone looking to assess their own health care needs, including tips for choosing the right health plan, tips on keeping health care costs down and tips on health and wellness programs. Also joining the NASE was Olympic superstar, small-business owner, and NASE spokesperson Mary Lou Retton, who keyed in on the health and wellness aspects of the NASE initiative, reminding those in attendance that even the smallest of businesses can incorporate wellness into the workplace, at little to no extra cost. Darien, Mary Lou Retton, Rep. Melissa Hart, Rep. Donald Manzullo “There are many things small businesses can do to encourage a healthy lifestyle among their employees, from simply allowing daily walk breaks to offering incentives that encourage healthy behavior like joining a gym,” said Retton. “Entrepreneurs need to remember that wellness programs not only boost health, but also the bottom line, since having healthy employees can mean the difference between profit and loss.” The Your Health, Your Choice program is part of an overall effort by the NASE to focus on consumer-driven health care. The NASE conducted a nation-wide survey on the state of health care for micro-business owners in 2005 and will continue to work with Congress to pass meaningful health care improvements for this segment of the economic population. Visit www.NASE.org, Quick Link "Health Guide" to request a copy of the guide. Visit http://health.NASE.org for more information on the initiative and resource articles. SBHP Legislation Stalls in Senate Last week, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2005, sponsored by Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., failed to get the 60 votes needed to end the debate and override a possible filibuster to vote on the legislation. The legislation would have created an alternative in health insurance purchasing for micro-businesses owners and the self-employed by allowing them to join into pools across state lines and purchase Small Business Health Plans (SBHPs) collectively, formerly known as association health plans. The NASE supports the proposal of SBHPs to improve access and choice for the self-employed and micro-businesses with regards to medical coverage for themselves and their employees. In an attempt to appease Democrats, who largely opposed the bill, Enzi included a provision that would only allow insurers to bypass state mandates if they sell a plan that matches a plan offered to state employees in one of the five most populous states. However, only two Democrats voted for the closure of debate and one Republican voted against it. Supporters, including the bill’s lead sponsor, felt that getting to the floor of the Senate was a sign of progress for the proposal. “I’m pleased with the vote we got,” Enzi said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t get to 60…but this is the first time the Senate has gotten it to a cloture vote.” The NASE will continue to monitor any future bills for SBHPs and their progress in Congress. For more information on the NASE’s legislative priorities, visit http://advocacy.NASE.org. Tax Package Clears Congress, Goes to President for Signature The tax reconciliation package passed both the House and Senate last week and heads to the President for his signature this week. The Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 includes the following major provisions: Two year extension, through 2010, of the maximum 15 percent tax rate on capital gains and dividends One year extension, through 2006, an increase in the exemption of the Alternative Minimum Tax to limit the impact on middle-class tax payers, including adjustments for inflation Extension through 2009 of a tax cut that allows small businesses to expense up to $100,000 in depreciable assets per year Member Poll: Cover the Uninsured The NASE joined a diverse group of national organizations in support of this year’s Cover the Uninsured Week, May 1-8th. Currently, 46 million Americans have no health insurance, with 60 percent of uninsured Americans representing owners, employees or dependents of those working in small business. Let the NASE know your opinions on this issue by visiting the MyNASE Web site at http://my.NASE.org/. Log in to your free MyNASE Web account. If you have not set up an account, you can do so at http://my.NASE.org/ with your member number.