Highmark Announces Health Care Reform Tax Calculator

The health care reform debate has seen politicians on both sides of the aisle throw around lots of big, dramatic ideas and accusations.  It has perhaps been hard to know what to believe.  A new calculator may let small business owners see exactly how health care reform will affect them, however.

This calculator comes from Highmark, which is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and H&R Block.  So it comes from organizations with knowledge of the medical industry and financial matters, in other words, not someone whose job is to represent a political party’s interests.

As for what the calculator’s supposed to do, the official description promises that it will let a small business owner "[l]earn how small business tax credits may help to reduce your health plan costs" and "[c]alculate your savings."

Then Vik Mangalmurti, vice president of Highmark’s Office of Health Care Reform, expanded on that by saying in a statement, "One of health care reform’s goals is to expand health insurance coverage to more individuals, including those employed by small businesses.  The intent of the federal tax credits is to help small businesses provide that coverage, and the tax calculator lets employers run the numbers to see if they are eligible for a credit and the amount of their potential savings."

The calculator’s free to use, so don’t be afraid to try it out.  Just be aware that it does encourage users to find a Highmark plan to suit their needs.