The health-care bill is a response to the federal Affordable Care Act, which
direct states to expand their Medicaid programs to encompass everyone making up
to 138 percent of the federal poverty level – about $16,000 a year for an
individual. Iowa’s program will be a hybrid, however, creating a new public
health care program for individuals earning up to 100 percent of poverty and
then fully subsidizing the purchase of private insurance for those making up to
138 percent. Small business is in need of clarification in order to predict how
this will effect their businesses.