[Hidden-tech] found the answer

[B. Kimo Lee]

Greetings HT:

Interesting thread on health insurance.
On a related note...
I don't recall seeing anyone having posted the following info, but if  
so, sorry for the double post:
FYI, the Pioneer Valley CDC will be holding a free seminar called  
"Health Insurance Considerations for Small Business Owners" on October  
28th. Registration is required and there are still seats available. To  
find out more, visit this link:
http://www.valleycdc.com/training/index.html

The "Register here" registration link is at the top of the page.

Best,
Kimo Lee

PS: Hi Don Lesser: Great class you gave on Quickbooks last Tuesday!  
Thanks! See you Tues.

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On Sep 17, 2009, at 2:48 PM, Jan Werner wrote:

>  ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's  
> area.
>  ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
> That hasn't been true for many years in Massachusetts.
>
> Membership in a Chamber of Commerce or other affinity group does not  
> qualify for group insurance in Massachusetts, a sore point that came  
> up often when I was on the Government Relations Committee of the  
> Berkshire Chamber, and something that business groups have long been  
> trying to reverse, without success.
>
> There are insurance purchasing outfits  that require you to be a  
> member of such a group to use their services (e.g., Northeast  
> Business Trust, from whom I used to get my insurance) but under the  
> current MA health insurance laws, they don't offer any advantage,  
> and, as I discovered in researching the matter, tend to offer less  
> value than you can get by purchasing directly from insurers like  
> BCBSMA or Tufts as an individual.
>
> That said, the insurers conduct a real shell game by offering a vast  
> number of plans using all kinds of different combinations of copays,  
> deductibles and other options. This makes it nearly impossible to  
> compare plans directly. I ended up building a spreadsheet model and  
> running what-if scenarios to make an informed choice, but I don't  
> think most people have the know-how (or time) to do that kind of  
> thing.
>
> As to the original question, a self-employed individual who files a  
> Schedule C and reports a profit can deduct up to the amount of that  
> profit minus 1/2 their SE tax on line 29 of their 1040, if he/she  
> does not qualify for coverage under someone else's plan. Your  
> spouse's insurance will also qualify if she/he is a co-owner of the  
> business.
>
> Also, if you are both owner/employees of the business, you can get  
> two individual plans, which is less expensive than a family plan if  
> you have no other dependents.
>
> Jan Werner
> ____________
>
> Edbride-PR wrote:
>>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the  
>> member's area.
>>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> That's how we qualify for group insurance: Chamber of Commerce. I'm  
>> not sure, there may be a minimun requirement of employee head  
>> count; if there is, it's 2, which is easy enough...
>> Ed
>>    ----- Original Message -----
>>    *From:* Don Lesser <mailto:dlesser at ptraining.com>
>>    *To:* 'Tom / Reelife Productions' <mailto:tomadams at gmail.com> ;
>>    'Hidden-Tech Tech' <mailto:hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
>>    *Sent:* Thursday, September 17, 2009 9:23 AM
>>    *Subject:* RE: [Hidden-tech] found the answer
>>           
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>    Too bad. Can your business buy insurance (from a Chamber of  
>> Commerce
>>    or some other group)? That way it is a business expense and comes
>>    off your taxes? I’m no tax expert, but I’d look into that route.  
>> The
>>    Noho chamber is about $300 per year, but there are other perks and
>>    you can compare the total cost of health care + Chamber to  
>> whatever
>>    else you are offered.
>>         Don Lesser
>>    Pioneer Training, Inc.
>>    139 B Damon Road, Suite 2
>>    Northampton, MA 01060
>>    (413) 387-1040 / (413) 536-1030
>>    (413) 586-0545 (fax)
>>    dlesser at ptraining.com
>>    www.ptraining.com
>