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November 7, 2009

Local business owner visits Washington

Owners from across state discuss health reform

The debate on federal health care reform just got a little more local.

Jason Oswald, owner of Goshen’s Constant Spring restaurant/bar, joined 129 other small business owners from across the country in a two-day visit to Washington, D.C., last Monday to lobby for changes.

“With health care costs rising and insurance premiums rising, small businesses are being choked out,” Oswald said. “They can’t afford this health care, therefore their business struggles and they can’t maintain employees. Small businesses account for 75 percent of jobs, so some relief on the health care end would really help with jobs.”

The trip was organized by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, an alliance of state PIRGs. U.S. PIRG is involved, among other efforts, in a push for reform of the U.S. health care industry.

“Premium costs are going up at four times the rate of wages, while millions of Americans can’t find security or peace of mind because insurers have the power to deny care if you get sick or have a pre-existing condition,” U.S. PIRG’s Web site states. “By passing health reform legislation this year, Congress can ‘make health care work’ for all of us.”

Through the organization, Oswald and other attendees were able to visit their local representatives and senators, were part of a press conference held by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and one of the senators from Louisiana, and took part in a question-and-answer session with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, which was broadcast live on WhiteHouse.gov.

“I thought it was interesting that there were people from all over the country and it wasn’t only a big group of Democrats — there were Democrats and Republicans,” Oswald said. “It was a big group of people who feel this needs to happen. Small business owners are the backbone of the economy, and it’s important to listen to them, to us.”

Oswald’s chief complaints against the current state of the health care industry stem from its high cost and the pre-existing conditions clauses. A doctor who was part of the group shared that his wife was denied insurance when she was pregnant because it was considered a pre-existing condition.

The press conference and question-and-answer session were held first. Afterward, attendees were broken up into statewide delegations to visit their congressmen. Two other Indiana small business owners joined Oswald before they visited Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd District. He was not in his office, so they left a packet of information and business cards. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., was also absent, so the group spent some time talking with his office staff.

At the office of Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd District, they had better luck, and were able to sit and talk with him.

“He’s a very down-to-Earth kind of guy,” Oswald said. “We all kind of felt like we had something in common with him. He believes we would actually be saving money to pass this health care reform.”

Oswald said he was very encouraged by the meeting. He is convinced something needs to change, and soon.

“The current business of insurance is to figure out how to not pay claims, and that’s not right,” Oswald said.

The group returned from the capital Tuesday evening.

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