Michigan Senator To Propose Tax Incentives for Small Businesses To Provide Health Insurance
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) yesterday said she plans to introduce legislation that would provide tax breaks for small businesses that offer their employees health insurance, the Detroit News reports (Hall, Detroit News, 3/4). The "tri-share" plan would divide the cost of health care among employers, workers and the federal government, according to the Detroit Free Press. Any business with 50 or fewer employees would pay for its share of coverage and then deduct that amount from their taxes. Employees would pay one-third of the costs, an amount Stabenow hopes to keep at about $50 a month, the Free Press reports. Coverage would include inpatient and outpatient care, but probably not prescription drugs at the $50 rate. Stabenow said, "I believe addressing this from the small-business side is a very important part of addressing the needs of the uninsured" (Norris, Detroit Free Press, 3/4). The senator's plan is modeled after Access Health, a "tri-share" program that operates in Michigan's Muskegon and Wayne counties (Hall, Detroit News, 3/4).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.