Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

The 28th District of Texas faces unique health care challenges. The district has a large number of residents who live in medically underserved minority and rural communities. Our communities also have a large number of children and parents who are either uninsured or underinsured. In fact, 24.8% of all Texans do not have health coverage today, including 1.5 million uninsured children in the state.

While in the Texas Legislature, Congressman Cuellar was the coauthor of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that has expanded coverage to hundreds of thousands of Texas children. Since coming to Congress, Congressman Cuellar has been working to support America's health care system through legislation and federal grant opportunities. He is a strong supporter of our community health clinics and those medical centers which play a vital role in delivering health care, primary care and preventative care to our region.

There are several unique and significant health concerns among people in South Texas, such as diabetes, obesity, tuberculosis, and cancer. Congressman Cuellar is working to address and raise awareness for these prevalent health concerns in our region. In 2009, he started work on a WIC (Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children) pilot program to include glucose screening as part of the national nutrition program. Glucose screening is a critical first step in detecting juvenile and adult diabetes.

As you know, thousands of elderly Texans rely on Medicare to safeguard their physical health during their retirement years. Congressman Cuellar is committed to strengthening Medicare for our seniors and will ensure that the federal government honors that obligation.

Be informed on the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit created in the Affordable Care Act

Learn more:
Small businesses want to provide health coverage to their workers but face challenges in doing so. The credit is worth up to 35% of the health insurance premium costs a small business incurred for insuring its employees in 2010. Starting in 2014, the credit will cover up to 50% of premium costs.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit will provide $40 billion over the next ten years to help eligible small businesses defray the costs of providing insurance to their employees.

Eligibility Rules:
Providing health care coverage--a qualifying employer must contribute an amount equal to at least 50 percent of the cost of employee-only health insurance for covered workers.

Firm size--a qualifying employer must have less than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers (for example, an employer with fewer than 50 half-time workers may be eligible).

Average annual wage--a qualifying employer must pay average annual wages below $50,000 for a full-time worker.

Both taxable (for-profit) and taxexempt firms qualify--taxable small businesses may be eligible for a credit of up to 35 percent of premium costs for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, this rate increases to 50 percent. Taxexempt firms may receive a credit of up to 25 percent for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, this rate increases to 35 percent.

Small employers must use IRS Form 8941, Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums. Small businesses will include the amount of the credit as part of the general business credit on their income tax returns.

Update on Health Care Reform in Congress:

On February 25th, House and Senate leaders of both parties met with President Obama at the Blair House to discuss moving forward with comprehensive health reform.

On March 18th, House Democrats unveiled legislation to improve the Senate-passed bill achieving our three key goals--affordability for the middle class, accessibility for all Americans, and accountability for the insurance industry.

Health insurance reform puts American families and small business owners--not the insurance companies--in control of their own health care.
Making health insurance affordable for middle class and small businesses--one of largest tax cuts for health care in history--reducing premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

* Reform gives millions of Americans access to affordable insurance choices just as big businesses have--through a new competitive health insurance market that keeps costs down.

* Reform will hold insurance companies accountable to keep premiums down and prevent denials of care and coverage, including for pre-existing conditions.

* Reform will improve Medicare benefits with lower prescription drug costs for those in the "donut hole,' better chronic care, free preventive care, and nearly a decade more of solvency for Medicare.

* Reform will reduce the National Deficit by $138 billion over the next ten years, and by $1.2 trillion more over the following decade; reining in waste, fraud and abuse, paying for quality over quantity of care.

* Failure to enact reform means continued double digit premium increases--some as high as 60%, arbitrary loss of coverage, and huge increases in the national deficit.

On March 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconcilation Act of 2010.

Source