• Budgetary Concerns Plague Federal Small Biz Office
• Electronic Rx Is Favored, Bemoaned
• House Panel Gives Community Health Centers Funding Nod
• Quick Facts: Lenders Tighten Standards For Self-Employed

Budgetary Concerns Plague Federal Small Biz Office

The Office of Advocacy – an independent advisor to the President and Congress on matters relating to small business – has launched a campaign to change the manner in which the Office has received its funding since 2006. The Office of Advocacy is currently a financial subsidy of the Small Business Administration (SBA) which can limit research studies depending on the amount of funding available each year. “The Office of Advocacy is indispensible to our work on behalf of small businesses and the self-employed,” said Kristie Darien, executive director of the NASE legislative office. “The NASE whole-heartedly supports legislation that will help the Office increase its effectiveness and ensure its independence.” Joined by legislators and small business groups, the Office is pushing to negate a clause enacted two years ago which grouped it with the SBA and to, instead, allow for a separate line item for the Office’s budget. The line item will provide a more stable budget for the Office of Advocacy. Recently, the Senate introduced legislation calling for this change, the Independent Office of Advocacy and Small Business Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (S.2902). “This legislation will add transparency to the Office of Advocacy budget and will bolster the responsiveness of government to small business concerns raised during the rulemaking process,” remarked Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan in a press release. “I commend Senators [Olympia] Snowe and [Mark] Pryor for introducing this bill. They are champions for small business in the Senate.” For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit www.sba.gov.

Electronic Rx Is Favored, Bemoaned Electronic prescription technology has many fans, and many enemies. The Institute of Medicine is faulting medication errors as the cause of more than 7,000 patient deaths each year, yet only 2 to 3 percent of prescriptions are electronic. Analysts have suggested that very few physicians currently use electronic prescriptions, roughly 6 percent. In response to cost concerns, which many critics argue has stunted the embrace of more reliable electronic methods, many legislative proposals on the subject include language that would provide payment incentives or grants to help defray initial costs of acquiring new equipment and technology. The Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael O. Leavitt, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and many congressional lawmakers have supported the use of electronic prescribing in Medicare as a means to jump-start adoption by physicians across the nation. Many groups are hoping language to encourage adoption will be added to current Medicare legislation in the Senate. The NASE backs the adoption of electronic health records and e-prescriptions as a way to increase accuracy for patients and minimize costs. For more information on other ways to improve the health care system, visit advocacy.nase.org.

House Panel Gives Community Health Centers Funding Nod The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bill last week that extends funding through 2012 for a program that provides medical care for the uninsured at community health centers. The bill, HR 1343, also grants liability protection for physicians who volunteer at the centers or travel to provide services in emergencies. Since the program’s launch 48 years ago, it has grown to help fund more than 6,300 facilities throughout the county, which serve an estimated 17 million uninsured or underinsured annually. “Most micro-business owners go without health insurance at some point during their lives because premiums costs continue to spiral out of control,” said Kristie Darien, executive director of the NASE legislative offices. “We applaud congressional efforts like this one that provide a safety net for these individuals.” A similar bill, S 901, was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last year.

Quick Facts: Lenders Tighten Standards For Self-Employed Loans In the midst of an economic downturn, more than half of the nation’s banks are making it more difficult for micro-businesses to find funding. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship lent its support in February to legislation that offers short-term fee cuts on government-backed loans. The Business Lending Stimulus Act (S. 2612) is sponsored by Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass. Find more information about the study, released earlier this month by the Federal Reserve, by clicking here. Visit thomas.loc.gov for information on the legislation.   Promote Your Business, Be A Media Contact! Become a media contact and get the opportunity to share your experiences as a micro-business owner. Visit www.NASE.org to fill out an informational sheet on the background of your business.   Lawmakers and media outlets across the country rely on and regularly cite the NASE as a source of small and micro-business expertise. Help the NASE make sure the micro-business perspective is heard by taking this month’s poll. Click here to log-in and participate. Washington Watch Online Visit the NASE Advocacy Web page to view archived editions of Washington Watch. While you’re there, read the latest updates from the Washington, D.C. office, write your Congressperson, and find out how you can join the fight for micro-business. Web site: http://advocacy.NASE.org.