Illinois Times | Springfield, Illinois

New healthcare law helps put Illinois
newspaper publisher’s mind at ease

Sharon Whalen
Illinois Times
Springfield, Illinois

New healthcare law helps put Illinois newspaper publisher’s mind at ease

Publisher Sharon Whalen has always offered health insurance to the employees of her weekly newspaper because

"it is the right thing to do."

But the cost is steep. Offering a good benefit package, however, is crucial to recruiting quality employees who may not be paid as well at the paper as elsewhere, Whalen said.

The Illinois Times in Springfield employs 10 people, nine of whom take the insurance. Whalen covers 50 percent of the total premium, which added up to $27,000 for the business last year. But she will soon get some relief from those bills, relief that she says will help maintain stability for her business.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law a year ago, contains a provision that allows employers to claim a tax credit for up to 35 percent of their insurance premiums in 2010. For Whalen, that amounts to $2,700. The money will help maintain benefits beyond insurance the paper offers its employees, specifically long-term and short-term disability plans.

The disability programs allow Whalen to feel like her business has some stability. If an employee is seriously injured or ill, the small business would likely need to replace them to keep operating. But she wouldn’t want to abandon her hard-working employees in a time of need. That is why she offers the disability plan to help if catastrophe strikes, said Whalen, who is pleased the credit will help maintain the plans.

"Occasionally when things get tough, that is the kind of thing you look at cutting,” she said. “Now, we can look at that cost and say ‘we can cover that.' "