Healthy Workforce Act: Your chance to comment
July 20, 2009 by Bill MeltzerPosted in: Health care, Latest News & Views
For the third time in four years, Congress is debating a bill that would provide a substantial tax credit to employers with wellness programs.
As with the previous bills, the Healthy Workforce Act of 2009 currently enjoys bipartisan support. The reason why it has failed before has been disagreement over how to pay for the tax credit, and the inclusion of more controversial healthcare reform proposals.
Let us know how you feel – vote below to register your opinion of the bill.
Tags: legislation, wellness programs
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
President Obama and the Democrats should stop trying to monitor everyone’s behavior (cig tax, soda tax, etc.) and fix unemployment.
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
Why not give tax incentives to employers for providing employee health care plans who keep our jobs in the United States and/or return off-shore jobs to the U.S., thus resolving two issues, health care and unemployment.
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
David Palen – Well said.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I agree with Delores!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
With Wellness programs costing money, small businesses can’t participate anymore, so the amount of tax credit would be helpful to see if we would break even by providing the programs.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 am
With the push toward consumer-driven health spending (like HRAs and HSAs) as one way to reduce the ever-escalating cost of health insurance, employees could benefit both financially and with improved health by knowing how their own family history, habits and lifestyles contribute to their overall health. I think a financial incentive for businesses to promote a good Health & Wellness program could positively affect their employees. Plenty of data supports this idea. I’m all for the Healthy Workforce Act.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
With 70% of our health care dollars being the direct result of lifestyle choices, I think employers and employees who embrace the opportunity to reduce this cost should be commended and rewarded. I think a financial incentive to employers would be a positive step in bringing wellness into more workplaces. The more employers do to educate employees on the impact their choices have on their healthcare costs and the more that can be done to provide the tools needed to change this cycle, the better.
I am all for the Health Workforce Act!