Healthcare Legislation: How did we get here?
Previously Submitted Proposals
Finance Committee Mark:
The proposal passed by the Senate Finance committee looks closely at the markets where small business owners are buying health insurance. It makes significant steps to reform the rules of those markets to help increase choice, competition and reduce costs. The individual and small group insurance market reforms outlined in the proposal, as well as the framework for the health insurance exchange offer a thoughtful and important step toward some of the reforms so badly needed. Also important are provisions that create broader risk pools across state lines and new ways to offer competitive benefit packages on a national level, which create greater choice of plans. NFIB is working hard to ensure that these positive reforms are included in the final version of the healthcare reform legislation.
Read the Top 10 Reasons "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009" is the Wrong Approach for Small Business.
Read NFIB’s official comments regarding the healthcare reform proposals developed by the U.S. House.
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200)
The House’s
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 focuses solely on coverage, overlooking the dire needs of America’s small businesses to address spiraling costs and have more affordable choices in healthcare. Instead, this legislation levies new burdens, harmful penalties on the firms that can least afford them, and new taxes on businesses struggling to create and maintain jobs. It includes a punitive payroll tax for employers who can’t afford to offer insurance to their employees. Additionally, HR 3200 punishes employers who are currently providing insurance to their employees, but don’t meet the premium contributions requirements set out in the legislation. Furthermore, this bill includes a public plan option that threatens to destroy private insurance markets. Simply stated, H.R. 3200 is bad for small business.
Affordable Healthy Choices Act
On June 9, members of the Senate HELP Committee introduced a 615-page health reform bill. The bill included many components of health reform that would harm small business, including an employer mandate, as well as what a public plan option. Upon its introduction, when most of the details were not included, we
voiced our opposition again to employer mandates and government-run healthcare.
SHOP Act
The SHOP bill (S. 979, H.R. 2360) helps give small business owners and their employees better access to affordable healthcare through insurance market reform and tax incentives. The bill offers greater opportunities for small businesses to join larger pools that can drive down prices, makes it easier to shop for healthcare plans, expands the choices of providers when looking to buy health insurance, and gives small businesses a tax credit to encourage them to offer this benefit. The SHOP bill is targeted to the self-employed, small businesses and their employees, but it isn’t a replacement for true reform.
Where does the SHOP Act fit in health reform?
Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act
The Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act (S. 725/H.R. 1470) amends the tax code to allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income. Fixing this inequity is an important step to help put entrepreneurs on equal footing with their larger competitors.