Governor Mitch Daniels releases statement on health care bill

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (R) issued a statement late Monday morning on the passage of the health care bill.

"Our two best hopes for more jobs are investment and small business. The new 'health care' bill raises taxes drastically on both, and will harm our economic prospects badly. Hoosiers will also face higher state taxes as Medicaid rolls explode. It will raise by trillions the crushing debt we already are leaving young Americans; any claims to the contrary are worse than mistaken, they are knowingly fraudulent. In a life of optimism about America and its future, this morning I am as discouraged as I can remember being."

While the state's Republican leaders are adamantly opposed to the Democrat-backed bill, one Hoosier small business owner is celebrating its passage. The owners of Dog Ear Publishing are committed to providing health insurance, and they believes the bill may help them provide it less expensively.

The small company of nine employees saw its insurance premiums increase 30 percent this year. Now the company's insurance premiums cost more than $40,000.

Small businesses like Dog Ear Publishing typically have to pay 18 percent more for health insurance than their larger counterparts. So business owner Miles Nelson is pleased that the bill mandates a tighter government review of insurers' hikes on premiums.

"What we're really excited about is the shop exchange," said Miles Nelson, co-owner of the company.

Democrats have pushed for a health insurance exchange allowing individuals and very small businesses to comparison shop for policies. And Dog Ear Publishing and other small businesses will also benefit from a tax credit of up to 35 percent of what the company spends on health insurance premiums. Nelson doesn't yet know if his company will qualify the maximum tax credit.

"But we will qualify for something. I don't know what that percentage is yet, but that will be very helpful. Anything is better than what we're currently paying," said Nelson.