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Health Care Could Get More Affordable for Small Businesses
New legislation has been introduced in the Senate to make health care much more affordable for small-business owners.

Equity for Our Nation’s Self-Employed Act of 2004, S.2433, will go a long way to even the health care playing field for small businesses and their employees. S.2433 is a companion bill to H.R.1873 in the House of Representatives.

S.2433, introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY), will offer the strongest remedy in correcting current health care inequities. The legislation would level the playing field for the self-employed by allowing them to fully deduct health coverage costs.

The facts speak for themselves: Sole proprietors, partners and S corporation owners pay, on average, nearly 20 percent more for health insurance than larger corporations do. On top of that, small-business owners also pay a 15.3 percent “self-employment tax” on all of their health care premiums. The pending legislation would enable the self-employed to deduct their health care premiums as a normal business expense, as larger corporations are already allowed to do.

AFS encourages you to take action today and voice your support for this important legislation. Visit the Advocacy area at www.afswebsite.org for links to the Senate and Congressional Web sites. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the latest AFS News from the Hill for more information on the issues that affect you.

AFS Legislative Priorities
Over the course of the year, AFS has been concentrating advocacy efforts on these important issues:

• Advancing proposals to save and strengthen Social Security
• Simplifying private pension plans
• Cutting capital gains taxes
• Freedom to tailor health insurance to small-business needs
• Clarifying the tax definition of an independent contractor
• Repeal of the estate tax
• Raising the tax deduction for business meals
• Supporting tax credits for health insurance premiums

AFS wants to make sure that Washington, D.C. is working for your financial fitness, not against it. Visit the Advocacy area at www.afswebsite.org for the latest news, updates and helpful links from your legislative watchdog.

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