American Heart Association urges safeguards against misuse of genetic data
June 1, 2012
Dallas, TX – Rapid advancements in genetic disease research necessitate innovative safeguards for patients, according to new American Heart Association policy recommendations published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
Recent scientific progress includes the mapping of the entire human genetic code, or genome, which was completed in 2003, and new accelerated gene-sequencing techniques. These discoveries have led to cheaper, more readily available genetic tests, but regulations have lagged behind. [Read more]
Mini-Meds and Other Junk Insurance Plans Still In Business as Consumers Wait For Health Reform to Kick In
February 20, 2012
Plus, how to avoid common pitfalls when buying insurance on your own
Yonkers, NY – Brand name insurance companies are selling health coverage as skimpy as a hospital gown. The leading example of so called “junk health plans,” cited in a new report in the March issue of Consumer Reports, are mini-meds, which the magazine describes as “legal but inadequate.” Other misleading products include fixed benefit indemnity plans and medical discount cards.
Because the federal government has granted waivers—a total of 1,231 covering 3.9 million people as of January 2012—to several large, well-known companies, mini-med junk plans continue to operate, and disappoint, even though they represent the type of misleading and extremely limited health coverage that the Affordable Care Act was designed to eliminate. The waivers will expire in 2014 when health reform goes fully into effect. [Read more]
IRS and HHS Announce New Round of Outreach to Small Businesses and Practitioners About the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
September 10, 2011
Washington, D.C. – As the upcoming filing extension tax deadlines approach, the Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, is announcing a new round of outreach to small employers and the professional service providers they rely on to encourage them to review the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to see if they are eligible.
“As the filing deadlines approach, we want to make sure that small business owners don’t leave any money on the table,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “Small businesses that offer health insurance should learn about this credit and claim it if they are eligible.” [Read more]
Health reform one year later: The haves and have-nots—so far
March 23, 2011
Written by Nancy Metcalf
Senior Program Editor
Yonkers, NY – Americans don’t know much more about the Affordable Care Act today than they did when when President Obama signed into law a year ago, on March 23rd, 2010. A Kaiser health-tracking poll released last week found that 52 percent of the public admits to not knowing enough about the law to assess how it affects them personally—compared with 56 percent who said that a year ago in the same poll.
So in honor of the law’s first birthday, we decided to provide a rough scorecard of who’s been helped so far by the law, and who hasn’t. [Read more]
Affordable Care Act provides expanded Tax Benefit to Health Professionals working in Underserved Areas
June 18, 2010
Some Who Received Student Loan Relief May Qualify for Tax Refunds
Washington, DC – As part of a larger Administration announcement today on efforts to strengthen the health care workforce, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that under the Affordable Care Act, health care professionals who received student loan relief under state programs that reward those who work in underserved communities may qualify for refunds on their 2009 federal income tax returns as well as an annual tax cut going forward.
“Doctors and nurses who choose to practice in underserved areas make a great contribution to their local communities,” Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “By expanding the tax exclusion for student loan forgiveness, the Affordable Care Act provides an even greater incentive to practice medicine in areas that need it most.”
The Affordable Care Act included a change in the law, effective in 2009, that expands a tax exclusion for amounts received by health professionals under loan repayment and forgiveness programs. Prior to the new law, only amounts received under the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program or certain state loan repayment programs eligible for funding under the Public Health Service Act qualified for a tax exclusion. [Read more]
Recent Legislation offers special tax incentives for Small Businesses to provide Health Care
May 29, 2010
Washington, DC — In recognition of National Small Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service encourages small businesses to take advantage of tax-saving opportunities included in recently enacted federal legislation.
A variety of business tax deductions and credits were created, extended and expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), this year’s Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act and the Affordable Care Act. Because some of these changes are only available this year, eligible businesses only have a few months to take action and save on their taxes. Here is a rundown of some of the key provisions. [Read more]
