Attention O.D.s: you may be eligible for a new tax credit if you offer employee health insurance.

The new tax credit is part of the Affordable Care Act that was approved by Congress in March. It’s designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain current coverage.

The credit is available to small employers that pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees in 2010.

Here’s how it works:

• For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit is 35% of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 25% of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations.

• The maximum credit goes to smaller employers—those with 10 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees—paying annual average wages of $25,000 or less.

• The credit is completely phased out for employers that have 25 FTEs or more or that pay average wages of $50,000 per year or more, according to the IRS. Because the eligibility rules are based in part on the number of FTEs, not the number of employees, businesses that use part-time help may qualify even if they employ more than 25 individuals.

• Eligible small businesses can claim the credit as part of the general business credit starting with the 2010 income tax return they file in 2011.

For more information and to find out if you qualify, go to the Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions page on the IRS web site at: www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=223666,00.html.