According to America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), there are 6.1 million health savings accounts (HSA) set up in the United States. Small businesses, in particular, have been drawn to HSA plans as 31 percent that have opted for this coverage were previously without insurance. So -- is the HSA option a good fit for you?
At a House congressional hearing on HSAs last month, a Harvard professor essentially testified that most Americans were too dim to own a HSA. Are you? There are plenty of resources available for you to help make that decision.
Roy Ramthun (“Mr. HSA”) has announced that in addition to his FREE booklet – “The Common Sense Guide to HSAs” – that he recently released (it can be downloaded at http://www.hsaed.com/) he has also published a Spanish version of the guide – “Manual de sentido común Cuentas de Ahorros para la Salud.” Both of the guides are designed to help consumers better understand HSAs. There is a fee for the Spanish version.
In addition to basic information about HSAs, the guides explain how HSAs compare to traditional health insurance, and how to determine whether a HSA is right for an individual or family.
Ramthun is also hosting a one hour HSA webinar on Wednesday, June 25th at 12:00 noon ET (11:00 am CT, 10:00 am MT, 9:00 am PT) to explain the new IRS guidance on IRA-to-HSA rollovers and account funding issues. The webinar will provide an opportunity for Q&A. The cost of the webinar is $35. To sign up, visit http://www.hsaed.com/. For those who attend the webinar, the Spanish version of the guide book will be sent FREE of charge.
Many small business owners that we talk to say that HSAs are an affordable, flexible option to traditional health coverage. Employees also love them as they have more choice in the health and medical marketplace. They also serve as another vehicle for saving money. Millions of Americans are jumping on the HSA bandwagon. Check it out to see if it makes sense for you, or your business.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
People Are Cranky
A new poll out today confirms that the American people are cranky about the economy and about policymakers.
According to an Associated Press report, among the findings of the AP-Ipsos poll were the following:
• Only 17 percent see the country as generally being on the right track, with 76 percent saying the wrong track.
• “Six in ten of those who chose wrong track blamed the struggling economy, with gasoline prices hovering above $4 a primary reason”
• President Bush’s approval rating was near its all-time low at 29 percent, while Congress fared even worse, with an approval rating of only 23 percent.
Maybe our elected officials should start doing something constructive in terms of implementing pro-growth economic policies. Tax and regulatory relief, advancing free trade, reining in government spending, and removing obstacles to domestic energy exploration and production certainly would help.
According to an Associated Press report, among the findings of the AP-Ipsos poll were the following:
• Only 17 percent see the country as generally being on the right track, with 76 percent saying the wrong track.
• “Six in ten of those who chose wrong track blamed the struggling economy, with gasoline prices hovering above $4 a primary reason”
• President Bush’s approval rating was near its all-time low at 29 percent, while Congress fared even worse, with an approval rating of only 23 percent.
Maybe our elected officials should start doing something constructive in terms of implementing pro-growth economic policies. Tax and regulatory relief, advancing free trade, reining in government spending, and removing obstacles to domestic energy exploration and production certainly would help.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Open Up the Waters and the Lands
Some degree of common sense seems to be creeping into the energy policy debate.
President George W. Bush has renewed his call to lift the 27-year-old ban on energy exploration and development in U.S. coastal waters. More than 80 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is currently off limits.
U.S. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has reversed an earlier position, and now supports lifting the federal ban and allowing the states to decide.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist also has reversed his position, and now supports drilling off the state’s shores.
There’s nothing wrong with changing one’s mind on the policy front when it’s from a position that’s bad for the economy to one that’s good for the economy. That’s the direction McCain and Crist have moved.
Given the vast improvements in technology and operations, expanding energy development to offshore areas and federal lands currently off limits poses no environmental threats, and makes sense for struggling U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses and consumers trying to deal with skyrocketing energy costs.
Unfortunately, McCain apparently still opposes drilling in ANWR.
And much of Congress appears more interested in imposing a so-called windfall profits tax on oil companies, which will only serve to further jack up energy costs.
Similarly, U.S. Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, seems intent on turning his back on economic common sense by supporting higher taxes and opposing energy exploration offshore and in ANWR.
More work remains to be done in advancing economic common sense on the energy front.
President George W. Bush has renewed his call to lift the 27-year-old ban on energy exploration and development in U.S. coastal waters. More than 80 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is currently off limits.
U.S. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has reversed an earlier position, and now supports lifting the federal ban and allowing the states to decide.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist also has reversed his position, and now supports drilling off the state’s shores.
There’s nothing wrong with changing one’s mind on the policy front when it’s from a position that’s bad for the economy to one that’s good for the economy. That’s the direction McCain and Crist have moved.
Given the vast improvements in technology and operations, expanding energy development to offshore areas and federal lands currently off limits poses no environmental threats, and makes sense for struggling U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses and consumers trying to deal with skyrocketing energy costs.
Unfortunately, McCain apparently still opposes drilling in ANWR.
And much of Congress appears more interested in imposing a so-called windfall profits tax on oil companies, which will only serve to further jack up energy costs.
Similarly, U.S. Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, seems intent on turning his back on economic common sense by supporting higher taxes and opposing energy exploration offshore and in ANWR.
More work remains to be done in advancing economic common sense on the energy front.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
SBE Council Chief Economist Statement on Industrial Production
Raymond J. Keating, chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), issued the following statement regarding the Federal Reserve’s release on industrial production:
"The Federal Reserve’s latest estimates on U.S. industrial production piled on the bad economic news. Industrial production has declined in three of the last four months, and from May 2007 to May 2008, it declined by -0.1 percent. Over the past six months, manufacturing output was flat in three, and shrank in two of those months, with output falling by -0.3 percent over the past year.
"Various negatives are battering the economy, including energy costs and the housing woes. But public policy decisions come into play as well. With the November election, the threat of major tax increases looming and a do-nothing-productive mentality governing energy policy in Congress, businesses and investors face huge, negative uncertainties. Those uncertainties will continue to dampen entrepreneurship, investment, production and growth."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)