A new PHI fact sheet outlines several ways that small businesses can receive government aid to help them take advantage of opportunities in the health reform law that passed earlier this year.

Health Reform Facts 3 is the latest in a series of PHI publications that describes how health reform provisions affect eldercare/disability employers and direct-care workers.

Benefits Outlined

The benefits offered to small businesses as a result of the passage of health reform include:

• Tax credits: Depending on how many employees they have, and how much they pay them, small businesses may be entitled to tax credits covering as much as 50 percent of their contributions to employee coverage. Small Business Majority, an organization that advocates for small business employers and employees, has set up a calculator on its website to help employers determine the size of this tax credit.
• Wellness grants: Beginning next year, a $200 million, five-year federal grant program will award grants to employers that have established employee wellness programs. The program is designed to encourage employers to promote physical activity, healthy eating habits, and other wellness-related initiatives among their employees.
• Health insurance exchanges: Each state is required to establish a health insurance exchange that will facilitate the purchase of qualified insurance plans. These exchanges will also each maintain a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) to further assist small businesses as they attempt to find benefit plans that best meet their employees’ needs.

Other Health Reform Fact Sheets

PHI’s fact sheet on health reform and small businesses is the third in a series of health reform-related fact sheets. The others are:

• Health Reform Facts 1: Workforce Development and Training Opportunities for Direct-Care Workers, which describes several new workforce commissions, federal training grants, and workforce-development programs affecting direct-care workers.
• Health Reform Facts 2: Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, which explains a program that will allow individuals with pre-existing medical conditions to purchase insurance.

– by Matthew Ozga