Americans for the Arts commends Congress on passing comprehensive health care reform legislation. This bill ensures that the nation'€™s artists and arts workers will now receive increased access to the health coverage they deserve. The final legislation included major reform policies supported by Americans for the Arts and its national health care coalition of 20 other arts organizations.

The bill provides tax credits for small businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 25 full-time employees and average salaries less than $50,000. The provision will have a positive impact on the nation'€™s 668,000 nonprofit and for-profit arts businesses in the U.S. that employ 2.9 million people and many of which are small businesses.

As the legislation is enacted, Americans for the Arts is also working to ensure that national health benefit exchange provisions include individual artists and cultural nonprofit organizations that are currently excluded for all practical purposes from employer-based insurance plans.