Health Plans Legislation

On Tuesday, April 5, the Senate voted 87 – 12 to fully repeal the expanded 1099 reporting requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill, HR 4, now goes to President Obama for his signature.

On Wednesday, January 19, hundreds of booksellers at Winter Institute 6 heard PBS NewsHour’s Jim Lehrer interview Karen Mills, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, about the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses today.

Last week, President Obama said that he would be willing to consider repealing a provision in the health care bill that requires businesses to file tax forms for any transaction over $600 with a single vendor.

On Tuesday, March 23, President Obama signed a landmark health care bill into law that, among its many goals, seeks to ease health insurance costs for small businesses. Following passage of the bill by Congress on Sunday night, the Small Business Majority released a summary of the measures in the health care bill that will affect small businesses.

This week, the Health Reform Coalition, including the Small Business Majority, the American Library Association, the Main Street Alliance, and many other national groups, urged Congress to vote in favor of health care reform. The fate of health insurance reform has been up in the air since late January, following the victory of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts' special election for the U.S. Senate.

In his first State of the Union address, delivered on Wednesday, January 27, President Obama declared that jobs must be the nation's top priority in 2010. Stressing that job creation begins with small businesses, the President outlined proposals to help small businesses, including better access to capital and tax breaks.

As the Senate gets set to pass its health care reform bill, "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," the small business community remains divided over some aspects of the complex legislation. Early Monday morning, the Senate voted 60 - 40 for cloture, which clears the way for final passage of the bill. Most experts believe the Senate bill will pass by Christmas. Once the Senate bill is passed, it will be reconciled with the House of Representatives health care reform bill in conference committee.

On Wednesday, December 9, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) joined Terry Gardiner of the Small Business Majority and Mike Brey, a small business owner from Maryland, at a press conference to unveil a package of amendments to the Senate health care reform bill that would benefit small businesses.

On Saturday, November 21, the U.S. Senate voted 60 - 39, along party lines, to open debate on the Senate health care reform bill, "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said debate would begin on the bill on Monday, November 30.

On Thursday, November 12, the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hosted an hour-long conference call with small business owners from around the country to discuss health care reform. Administration officials participating in the briefing, "Health Care Reform and Small Businesses," included Ann Widger of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Dr.