Health Care Reform
MNA is monitoring and critiquing the various federal, as well as state, legislative proposals on health care reform in order to analyze their impact on the nonprofit community and provide feedback on behalf of the nonprofit sector. This page will be updated regularly with information on the development of the health care reform debate as it relates to nonprofits.
Thank you to those who participated in the survey about the impact of rising health care costs on Michigan nonprofits. With the nonprofit sector directly employing one in every ten employees in our state, this data is extremely important to the debate on health care reform.
Recent Developments (11/20/09)
The Senate unveiled its version of comprehensive health care reform legislation November 18, 2009. The bill includes a small business tax credit provision to assist small employers with 25 or fewer employees in extending health insurance to their workforce. As written, all qualifying 501(c) tax-exempt organizations would be eligible to use this credit.
The Senate, by a 60-39 vote along party lines, moved to proceed to debate on its health care legislation November 21, 2009. The Senate is expected to begin debating amendments to the bill during the week of November 30. Contact your Senators and urge them to pass health care reform legislation that expands coverage, removes barriers to access, controls costs, and includes incentives similar to those offered to small businesses to help nonprofit employers provide health coverage to their workers.
The House passed its comprehensive health care reform legislation November 7, 2009 by a 220-215 vote. The House bill also includes a small business tax credit provision that would assist businesses with 25 or fewer employees extend health insurance to their workforce. As currently written, most tax-exempt organizations would not be able to use the tax credit that applies only to income taxes owed by the business.
Take Action
We have heard from you and know that rising health care costs are a serious concern to the nonprofit community in Michigan. Because of the feedback of the nonprofit community and in keeping with MNA’s position on health care reform, we believe that health care reform must be enacted to expand coverage, remove barriers to access to insurance, and control costs. We urge you to make your voice heard in this debate by contacting your representatives on the health care issues of most concern to your organization, including subsidies for small nonprofit organizations.
Legislative Proposals
Federal Proposals
- NEW! Side-by-side comparative analysis of federal health care proposals (published by Independent Sector on 11/20/09)
- NEW! House Health Care Legislation
HR 3962, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, as introduced on 10/29/09. This Act would create a health insurance exchange, a government-run public insurance option, impose individual and employer mandates, and provide tax credits to subsidize health insurance costs of for-profit employers with 25 or fewer employees. The bill calls for savings from within the health care system and would impose a 5.4% surtax on households earning more than $1 million in adjusted gross income. The House is expected to take up the measure the week of November 2, with the intention of holding a final vote on the legislation by the week’s end.
- Senate Finance Committee Health Care Legislation
America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, as approved by the Senate Finance Committee on 10/13/09. This proposal would create a health insurance exchange, provide for the creation of health insurance cooperatives (CO-OP), impose an individual mandate for coverage, and provide tax credits to qualifying individuals and small businesses for purchasing health insurance. As modified, the proposal would extend eligibility for small business tax credits to some tax-exempt employers.
- Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Health Care Legislation
The Affordable Health Choices Act, as adopted by the Senate HELP Committee on 7/15/09. The committee-passed bill includes individual and employer mandates, a public health insurance option, provides credits to subsidize health insurance for some individuals and small business employers, and establishes a voluntary long-term care insurance program.
State of Michigan Proposals
Health Care Survey Results
Rising Health Care Costs a Concern for Michigan Nonprofits
Rising Health Care Costs Impact Nonprofits in Southeast Michigan
MNA, our Board members and nonprofit leaders will regularly blog about the current health care debate. Check out the latest blog here.
MNA Position on Health Care Reform
The Michigan Nonprofit Association believes that health care reform should embrace the following set of principles:
- Health care reform should ensure high-quality health care;
- Health care reform should have as an ultimate goal to provide universal access to affordable health care;
- Health care reform should address the needs of the nonprofit community and the people it serves; and
- Health care reform should not add financial burdens to the nonprofit community that are not shared by other sectors of society.
Data & Research
Johns Hopkins Survey Reveals Hidden Dimension of Health Care Crisis
Much of the attention in the current health care debate has focused on the impact of escalating health care costs on small businesses and the uninsured. But new data generated by the Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Listening Post Project reveals that health care costs are also producing a crisis for America's nonprofit organizations - the very nonprofits who, in Michigan, employ 10 percent of the workforce and are a vital compenent to stabilizing our state's economy. Click here to read the report "Health Care and Nonprofits: The Hidden Dimension of America's Health Care Crisis."
Rising Health Care Costs a Concern for Michigan NonprofitsMichigan Nonprofit Association and the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University recently surveyed more than 125 nonprofits in Michigan to assess how the current health care system is affecting nonprofits as employers. Click here to read "Rising Health Care Costs a Concern for Michigan Nonprofits."
Common Terminology related to Health Care Reform
Definitions of some basic but commonly misunderstood terms related to health care reform.
The Legislative Process of Health Care Reform
A summary of the legislative process through which any health care reform measures will have to pass in order to be adopted.
Media
Nonprofit Quarterly - Whither Health Care Reform Part I: Health Insurance Coverage for the Nonprofit Sector by Rick Cohen
The New York Times - Nonprofit Groups Upset at Exclusion From Health Bills
Nonprofit Quarterly - Nonprofits: We Must Start Beating the Drum by Tim Delaney, President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits
The Chronicle of Philathropy - Rising Health Care Costs Threaten Financial Well-Being of Many Charities, Study Finds
The Detroit News - Michigan is health reform model by Daniel Loepp, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Michigan Nonprofits Can Save Money on Health Care
Health insurance can be a costly benefit for nonprofit organizations to provide. A new partnership between Priority Health and Michigan Nonprofit Association is producing large cost savings opportunities for MNA members, making this benefit more attainable and freeing up dollars to drive mission advancement. Join MNA's endorsed Insurance Agents with extensive nonprofit experience to discuss the changing health care environment, and strategies to save on health insurance costs. Three sessions are being offered, allowing you the opportunity to choose the session that best fits your schedule.
Cost: These seminars will be complimentary for MNA members and only $10 for organizations that are not currently members of MNA.
October 6, 2009 - Grand Rapids (11 am-12 noon)
October 20, 2009 - Detroit (11 am - 12 noon)
October 27, 2009 - WEBINAR (2-3 pm)
Click Here to Register
Contact Us
Tiffany Aurora, Public Policy Manager, 517-492-2400
Direct media inquiries to:
Lisa Sommer, Public Relations Manager, 517-492-2400
|
