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GOP Releases The American Health Care Act Proposed legislation would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act

Last night, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives released their proposed repeal and replacement bill, called the American Health Care Act.  The proposed legislation is a two-part bill, one coming from the Ways and Means Committee, and the other from the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Most notable for employers, the proposed legislation repeals the employer mandate and there will be no cap on the employer tax exclusion. (A full summary of the major impacts of the bill is included at the end of this post.)

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Safety Improvements For Petroleum Marketers

Each year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releases a list of their “Most Wanted” safety improvements. The 2017-18 list includes several recommended improvements that are directly related to the work of petroleum marketers.

In my experience working with multiple petroleum marketers, I have seen the negative business impacts that a work-related accident or injury can create. Implementing these recommendations from the NTSB can improve your risk performance and, ultimately, your bottom line. 

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Disaster Recovery Planning Considerations

Natural disasters can come in many forms, with the most common being related to windstorms, fires and flooding. More tornadoes occur in the United States than in any other part of the world. While large-scale disasters capture media attention, disasters can also be local in nature, such as electrical blackouts from lightning strikes or a vehicle collision with a power line. Such events can cause significant disruption to your operations.

With proper planning, downtime and loss of revenue can be kept to a minimum and operations quickly restored. A formal disaster recovery plan is critical to ensure continual operations for your business, and should incorporate the following elements: 

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Trump Issues ACA Executive Order

On Friday, shortly after he took the oath of office, President Trump signed an executive order designed to “minimize the economic burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”.

While the President works with Congress to attempt to repeal and replace the ACA, this executive order allows the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – and other departments – to delay implementing any part of the law that might place a “fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.” 

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Affordable Housing Insights A Unique Industry Providing Real Solutions for Communities

Over the last several years, I have had the privilege of helping manage the risk of several organizations working to provide affordable housing options for low-income households. This experience has given me great insight into the unique aspects of this complex industry, as well as a passion to advocate for the organizations and individuals working in this space.

The Need for Affordable Housing is Increasing

Today’s demand for rental properties of all types is unprecedented. According to a study by the Joint Center For Housing Studies of Harvard University, 37 percent of all U.S. households are now renters – the highest level since the mid-1960s. The study also reveals that the largest and fastest growing segment of the exploding rental market is comprised of households earning less than $25,000 annually.   And while the number of renter households rose 40 percent from 2003-2013, the number of low-cost rental units increased by just 10 percent. It is clear that the need for more affordable housing is great.

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