Beginning January 1, 2014, the individual coverage mandate rules of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA) generally required most American citizens to maintain health coverage meeting the “minimum essential coverage” mandates of ACA or pay an “individual shared responsibility payment.” With the deadline for filing 2014 individual tax returns rapidly approaching, Americans now generally will be required to show their fulfillment of or exemption from this mandate or pay the “individual shared responsibility” payment that ACA imposes as a penalty for failing to meet its individual coverage mandates when filing their 2014 individual tax returns
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Tag: Health Insurance Exchanges
Getting Your Health Care Reform Message Heard By Key Congressional Leaders
With Congressional Health Care Reform at a critical point this week, many are asking which members of Congress to talk to, how to reach them and what to tell them. The following are some pointers on contacting the key decision-makers and structuring your message.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Baucus Introduces New Version of Health Care Reform, The America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) today (November 19, 2009) introduced his latest health care reform proposal, the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 (S.1796), the text of which is available for review here. Chairman Baucus’ introduction of S. 1796 follows the November 7, 2009 passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the massive health care reform proposal sponsored by Representative John Dingell (D-MI) and supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR. 3962). Review highlights and get link to text of bill here!
Health Care Reform Focus Moves To Senate After House Passess HR 3962
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the massive health care reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962), after adopting an amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion services in the public option in a rare Saturday session.
Baucus’ America’s Health Future Act of 2009 Calls For Significant Tightening of Tax Exemption Rules
With Senate Finance Committee meetings to mark up Chairman Max Baucus’ health care reform proposal as outlined in his 220-page “Chairman’s Mark of America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009” (the “Baucus Proposal”) scheduled to begin tomorrow (September 22, 2009), tax-exempt health care and other non-profit organizations should evaluate carefully proposed amendments that would amend or repeal the rebuttable presumption rule applicable to non-profits when defending Internal Revenue Service challenges to compensation reasonability, to grant sweeping new audit and oversight powers to the Internal Revenue Service, to tighten substantially tax-exemption requirements for charitable hospitals, and other amendments impacting their tax-exempt status or related obligations in addition to the widely-discussed proposal to create “Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) .
Senate Finance Committee Schedules September 22 Drafting Session On Baucus Health Care Reform Proposal
The Senate Committee on Finance plans on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 to hash out how to convert into proposed legislation the health care reform proposal outlined in the “Chairman’s Mark America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009” introduced by Committee Chairman Max Baucus on September 16, 2009.
House Leaders Plan To Work Out Differences In 3 Versions of Health Care Reform Legislation Passed By Key Committees During Recess
Democratic Leaders in the House of Representatives plan to hammer out differences three versions of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) as separately passed by three key House Committees in July before House members return from their August recess in hopes of bringing the agreed to version of H.R. 3200 to the full house in September. Learn where to review different versions passed by these Committees here.
Where To Read Health Care Reform Bills Backed By House, Senate Democratic Leaders
Find links to text of H.R. 3200: America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 as introduced on July 14, 2009 and S. __, the Affordable Health Choices Act approved by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
The Real Opportunities To Improve Health Care- A 10 Step Program
To really make a difference, Congress and Americans need to stop pretending that they can waive a magic wand and “fix” health care. There are no easy fixes. There are just a series of tough realities and steps that all Americans have to embrace. The following are 10 key realities:
Blue Dog Democrats Hold Key Voice On House Democrats Proposed Health Care Reform Plan; Contact Numbers Here
Health care providers and others seeking to get their input on the “American’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009” health care reform proposal introduced by the House Democratic Leadership should target their input to the “Blue Dog Democrats” in the House. Read about Blue Dog Democrats and how you can contact them here.
The fiscal conservatism of Blue Dog Democrats makes them more likely to listen to concerns about the cost and other concerns relating to the health care reform bills touted by the Democrat Leadership in the House and Senate. In fact, many Blue Dog Democrats already are speaking out about their concerns about the cost and other aspects of the Bill.