VIRGINIA MAIN STREET ALLIANCE UPDATE #5 April 17, 2011
Virginia will be holding several public meetings this summer to talk about how health care reform will work in the state. The meetings will be convened by the VHRI (see below). The meetings are set for 10:00 am until 2:00 pm in Richmond on May 26, July 15 and September 9.
The Virginia Health Reform Initiative (VHRI) is the task force appointed by the governor that will be guiding work on health care reform in Virginia. Their website (below) contains information on the make up of the task force as well as a link to the report they issued last fall on reform. http://www.hhr.virginia.gov/initiatives/healthreform/.
The Virginia Main Street Alliance has been surveying small businesses about the options Virginia has in implementing health care reform. While the survey is not complete we have over 100 responses so far and are beginning to see some strong trends. One interesting trend is that over 80% of respondents think that the state should step up oversight of health insurance rate increases. Currently, the state Bureau of Insurance has to approve rate increases in individual plans but not on group plans. To learn more about the state’s oversight of health insurance go to www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/index.htm
1099 Solution: Congress has repealed the new reporting law around 1099s. As you may have heard, in 2010 Congress passed a law requiring businesses to file a 1099 report for all vendors they purchased more than $600 of goods from (not just services). The proposal would have been a paperwork nightmare for many small businesses. After much work by small businesses, Congress has now repealed this provision
As part of the transition to covering people with pre-existing conditions, the federal government has set up a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan in Virginia. Anyone who has been uninsured for at least six months and has been turned down because of a pre-existing condition can purchase health insurance through this plan. Monthly premiums run from $156 to $518.
Go to http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/preexisting/index.html for more information.
These updates are a service of the Virginia Main Street Alliance. If you have questions, comments or advice please email bob@virginia-organizing.org
Virginia Main Street Alliance, a project of Virginia Organizing
804-937-0752
