Health Care Bill Recognizes Gay FamiliesHouse members overwhelmingly approved a health care reform bill Saturday that recognizes gay unions and makes health care more affordable for gay families. The 'Affordable Health Care for America Act' extends Medicaid to subsidize sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. moderate-income people who otherwise could not afford quality health insurance. Also tucked inside the bill is Representative Jim McDermott's 'Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2009' introduced in May. McDermott, a Democrat from Washington, introduced the bill along with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (also known as Ileana Ros; born July 15 1952) is a Republican United States Representative for Florida's At-large congressional district (map), having held that office since 1989. , a ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee See also United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The Foreign Affairs Committee is one of many Select Committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. from Florida. The bill alters the tax status of health benefits granted to the spouses of gay employees. Under the bill, such benefits would no longer be considered taxable income Under the federal tax law, gross income reduced by adjustments and allowable deductions. It is the income against which tax rates are applied to compute an individual or entity's tax liability. The essence of taxable income is the accrual of some gain, profit, or benefit to a taxpayer. for the employee. McDermott told the 'New York Times' that the bill would “correct a longstanding injustice, end a blatant inequity in the tax code and help make health care coverage more affordable for more Americans.” A report released in 2007 by M. V. Lee Badgett, research director at the Williams Institute, found that gay employees with partners pay, on average, $1,069 per year more in taxes than would a married employee with the same coverage. “Collectively, unmarried couples lose $178 million per year to additional taxes,” the report says. “U.S. employers also pay a total of $57 million per year in additional payroll taxes Payroll Tax Tax an employer withholds and/or pays on behalf of their employees based on the wage or salary of the employee. In most countries, including the U.S., both state and federal authorities collect some form of payroll tax. because of this unequal tax treatment.” Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights advocate, has supported the legislation. “I meet people all the time who are gratified grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. they work for companies that offer domestic partner benefits,” Joe Solmonese Joe Solmonese was appointed President of the Human Rights Campaign of the United States and its affiliate, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, on March 9, 2005. A native of Attleboro, Massachusetts, Solmonese, aged 40 at the time of his appointment, lives in Washington, D.C. , president of the Human Rights Campaign, said. “But they pass on the benefits because they cannot afford the taxes that go with the benefits.” Fifty-nine percent of Fortune 500 companies offer partner benefits, up from 40% in 2003, a 2009 Human Rights Campaign report says. The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. 
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