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-- May 4, 2000 --
In this issue:
CA LAUNCHES NEW, FREE BENEFIT PROGRAM FOR MEMBERS CA is proud to announce a new FREE member benefit! CA members now have access to a registered nurse 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Not sure if you should take your sick child to the emergency room or wait until morning to see your doctor? Have questions regarding health and nutrition? Unsure if that summer bug bite is creating an allergic reaction? Your medical questions can be answered by Fonemed, which is staffed by registered nurses with an average of 10 years of clinical experience. For CA members health care advice is one, free phone call away. HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Whenever you need medical advice, just call the 24-hour service number at Fonemed: 1-888-432-5907.
CA RELEASES RESULTS OF NATIONAL HEALTH CARE CONSUMER SURVEY - URBAN AND RURAL PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENTLY ON HEATLH REFORM; BUT THERE'S STRONG CONSENSUS ON NEED FOR MORE INSURANCE CHOICE, OPTIONS The results of a national survey of consumers on health care were released by CA last week. Among its findings were: rural residents pay a higher percentage of their income for their health insurance than their city cousins, yet they are less likely to blame insurance companies for recent increases in health premiums. While there is little consensus on preferred reforms for the health care system, there is wide consensus that consumers should have more choice among health insurance plans. CA commissioned the survey, which was conducted by Strategic Research Group of Minneapolis. Groups of 300 households across the USA were randomly surveyed, including rural households in communities of less than 50,000; suburban households; and urban households in metro areas of more than 250,000. In a nationally distributed news release, CA President Wayne Nelson said, "The survey results would appear to confirm there is a sharp divergence of opinion on how to best improve health care access and keep costs affordable. We are a long, long way from a national solution on who and what is to blame and how to fix it. Nelson noted there is strong belief, favored by 81% of respondents, in the need for choice and a range of health insurance options available to consumers. And there is wide support, favored by 73% of respondents, for the proposal of using tax credits to help those who can't afford health insurance -- a concept now gaining more favor in Washington and in the Presidential campaign. "There is overwhelming support to give the consumers themselves greater say in how they design and pay for their health insurance plans. In this Internet-age of individual empowerment, consumers believe they can choose for themselves, and they don't want 'Big Brother' to pick their health plans for them," he said. Some highlights: 71% of respondents said their health insurance premiums had recently gone up; rural residents were more likely to pay for their own health insurance, and paid a greater percent of their income to get it. Look for more details in the upcoming issue of CA's member magazine Self-Employed Country, or email us a request and we'll send back the survey story.
STUDY FINDS HUGE MEDICAL BILLS BIG FACTOR IN INCREASE IN BANKRUPTCIES In an interesting sidebar to the bankruptcy reform legislation being considered by Congress, a study just released found that it's not just credit card debts that have been driving up the number of personal bankruptcies, disastrous medical bills have been a huge culprit and overlooked in the current debate. Harvard law professor and study author Elizabeth Warren said, "Very little attention has been paid to the number of people who are in bankruptcy because of serious medical problems. It's a reminder than many of the families in bankruptcy have been pressed to the edge" by expenses stemming from illness or injury." Financial disaster can hit both people without insurance and with inadequate insurance. It's critical that self-employed and small business people realize the need to protect their assets and finances with adequate insurance.
TAX REFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESS, SELF-EMPLOYED PRESSED BY CA CA President Wayne Nelson was in Washington this week to continue to push for tax equity and tax reform for small business and the self-employed in this session of Congress. The House version of the minimum wage hike legislation includes several important tax improvements that are important to CA self-employed members. On the Senate side, the tax provisions are attached to the bankruptcy reform bill. That's Congress. Because there are some unresolved problems with the bankruptcy provisions, the strategy is to try to separate the tax measures out of the Senate bill, hopefully clearing the way for the way for conference committee action. Among key small business tax provisions:
RURAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE BACKED BY CA CA has co-signed a letter to Congress, along with a host of other rural organizations including the National Rural Education Association, in support of the Rural Education Initiative introduced by Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. The bill would affect four formulas used for determining federal cost share funding that have led to underfunding of small rural schools.
ANTI-TRUST BILLS INTRODUCED IN SENATE TO BATTLE AG CONCENTRATION, PRESERVE COMPETITON Senators from both political parties have introduced legislation that seeks to fight the growing consolidation and fears of monopoly power in the agribusiness and processing industries. A key issue in CA's Campaign for Family Agriculture, maintaining market access and market competition is a vital, worrisome issue for family farmers and rancher. Key ag state senators appear ready to take action, but the issue is complicated and there is a desire for fair trade and competition, without overburdensome regulations that would restrict fair business practices. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., have introduced the Farmers and Ranchers Fair Competition Act. The bill would: strengthen laws prohibiting anti-competitive practices; establish a claims commission to compensate producers for injury due to anti-competitive activities; expand reviews of mergers and acquisitions; establish minimum standards for marketing and production contracts; require reporting of interlocking boards of directors and inter-firm business relationships; and calls for a new GAO study. Senator Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has introduced the Agriculture Competition Enhancement Act that would, in part, create a new Special Counsel for Competition in the U.S. Department of Agriculture with new oversight review powers regarding mergers and acquisitions. The counsel, in conjunction with the USDA chief economist, would review proposed mergers; recommend preventive actions to the U.S. Department of Justice if he or she felt the results would harm a fair, competitive marketplace for producers; and could take action independently to prevent mergers even if DOJ chose not to take action. Farm groups are backing the bills, but big agribusiness is lobbying against them. Prospects depend upon the two bills and sponsors coming together.
CONRAD INTRODUCES FARMER TAX FAIRNESS BILL Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., has introduced a very comprehensive agriculture tax measure called the Farm Relief and Economic Development Act. It would include nine tax proposals benefiting farmers and ranchers. Among them are:
CA SCORES WIN AS IDAHO LEGISLATURE PASSES NEW BEGINNING FARMER PROGRAM The Idaho Legislature has approved establishing a new Aggie Bond beginning farmers and ranchers program for the state using tax-exempt Aggie Bonds to provide lower interest loans for eligible first-time farmers and ranchers. Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed the bill, authored by Senate Majority Leader John Sandy, into law April 4. Sandy introduced the bill, working with Idaho Agriculture Department representatives who attended the CA-organized Mountain States Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program Conference held in Bozeman, Montana in January. "We're really pleased to see a new Aggie Bond program get started in the West," said CA President Wayne Nelson. "This would not have happened without CA's effort, and we're hoping to keep expanding the program to new states. Montana, Wyoming and Utah will have more extended state legislative sessions next year, and CA expects beginning farmers programs to get strong consideration. CA members in those states can help us keep the ball rolling and help the future of agriculture in those states. New farmers help keep our rural communities strong." FEEDBACK WANTED CA welcomes member comments, ideas and thoughts on these and other legislative issues. Email us back your reply. Or give us a call and ask for Wayne Nelson, President, or Bruce Abbe, Vice President of Public Affairs at 1-800-432-3276. Help CA build our grassroots legislative action program. Email your reply to - publicaffairs@cainc.org.
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© 2000 CA FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED |
