© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Impact of Healthcare Law on Colorado Small Business

Creative Commons

One year after the new federal health care law was signed, many small business owners in Colorado say they’ve already benefited from the legislation.

One of the law’s main provisions is a tax credit to help small business employers provide coverage for their workers.  The credit covers 35 percent of an employer’s healthcare coverage costs, with that number set to increase to 50 percent by 2014, the year the healthcare law will be fully implemented.

“We’re actually seeing anecdotal evidence across the country of an uptick in small business coverage, and insurance companies using the small business tax credits to help promote additional coverage across the country,” says John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a national nonprofit focused on addressing issues facing the nation’s 28 million small businesses. 

But Arensmeyer says that while 83 percent of Colorado’s small businesses are eligible for the credit, more than half of them don’t even know about the program.  His organization will have more hard data later this year on how many small businesses and nonprofits took advantage of the tax credits to either continue coverage or start offering health benefits to their employees. 

Concerns over the law’s affordability and its complexity make its future uncertain, with Republican opponents vowing to repeal it in the next few years.  Colorado is among a group of states suing to block part of the healthcare law.

 

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.