Hire More Heroes Act of 2013

Great Seal of the United States (obverse)

Hire More Heroes Act of 2013 was a legislative proposal aimed at encouraging small businesses to hire more veterans. The act proposed amendments to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, specifically targeting the employer mandate provision. This legislation sought to incentivize the employment of veterans by allowing companies to exclude veterans already receiving health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the armed forces from their list of employees under the ACA mandate. The goal was to reduce the healthcare cost burden on small businesses and simultaneously increase employment opportunities for veterans.

Background

The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, included an employer mandate that required businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to provide health insurance or pay a penalty. This mandate led some small businesses to hesitate in expanding their workforce or to consider reducing the hours of existing employees to avoid the additional costs associated with the ACA requirements. The Hire More Heroes Act of 2013 was introduced as a response to these concerns, with a focus on promoting veteran employment.

Provisions

The key provision of the Hire More Heroes Act was to amend the ACA to allow businesses to exclude veterans receiving health care from the VA or through TRICARE (the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families) from their count of full-time employees. This was intended to make it easier for small businesses to hire veterans without the burden of increased health care costs or hitting the 50-employee threshold that triggers the ACA's employer mandate.

Legislative Process

The Hire More Heroes Act was introduced in the United States Congress and garnered bipartisan support. It was seen as a win-win proposal that could both aid small businesses and improve employment rates among veterans. Despite the bipartisan appeal, the legislative process involves complex negotiations, and the bill's progress was subject to the broader contentious political environment surrounding the ACA.

Impact

The intended impact of the Hire More Heroes Act was twofold: to alleviate some of the pressures small businesses faced under the ACA and to increase employment opportunities for veterans. By excluding veterans who already had health coverage from the ACA's employer mandate calculations, the bill aimed to remove a potential barrier to hiring veterans.

Criticism and Support

Supporters of the Hire More Heroes Act argued that it was a practical measure to support small businesses and veterans. However, critics raised concerns that the act could lead to unintended consequences, such as employers preferring to hire veterans over other equally qualified candidates to benefit from the exemption, potentially leading to discrimination in hiring practices.

Conclusion

The Hire More Heroes Act of 2013 represented a targeted effort to address specific challenges arising from the intersection of veteran employment and healthcare legislation. By seeking to modify the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate, the act aimed to create a more favorable environment for the hiring of veterans, reflecting broader goals of supporting both small businesses and the veteran community.