ACCA Signs Joint Letter Encouraging Congress To Act on the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

April 12, 2016

On April 12, 2016, ACCA joined several other associations sending a letter to the leadership of the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives encouraging them to schedule the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act (H.R. 2911) for a vote. 

The Small Business Healthcare Relief Act would address a provision in the Affordable Care Act that prohibits employers from offering healthcare to their employees through reimbursement arrangements. Many small businesses pay for or reimburse employees for healthcare through an employer payment plan, such as a Health Reimbursement Arrangement. However, according to the IRS, the Affordable Care Act prohibits this type of arrangement and businesses that want to continue to offer their employees healthcare this way are subject to a $100 per day, per employee fine up to $36,500 per year, per employee.

"Offering healthcare benefits is one way that small businesses, like many ACCA members, are able to find and keep good employees," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO. "Unfortunately, many small businesses are struggling to provide these benefits due to rising premiums. If the federal government starts imposing crushing fines, many small businesses will no longer be able to afford to provide this benefit. In an industry that is already struggling with a workforce shortage, new barriers cripple the recruiting efforts of contractors across the country."

ACCA will continue to support H.R. 2911 in an effort to help our members who are facing the possibility of these fines and taxes. ACCA encourages its members to contact their Member of Congress and ask them to support the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act.  You can find your Member of Congress by visiting http://bipac.net/lookup.asp?g=acca and typing in your address.

To find out if your Representative is already a co-sponsor of H.R. 2911 visit www.congress.gov, type in the bill number (H.R. 2911) and go to the co-sponsor tab on the left side of the page. 

For more information or if you have questions about H.R. 2911 contact Todd Washam, ACCA director of industry relations at todd.washam@acca.org or by calling 703-824-8864.

 

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ACCA is a non-profit association serving more than 60,000 professionals and 4,000 businesses in the indoor environment and energy services community. Our member firms are the nation's most professional contracting businesses, serving residential and commercial customers in every state. With roots stretching back a century, ACCA was incorporated in its present form nearly 50 years ago. Today, ACCA sets the standards for quality comfort systems, provides leading-edge education for contractors and their employees, and fights for the interests of professional contractors throughout the nation. Learn more about ACCA here.