Small Business Owners React To Supreme Court Decision On Health Care

DENVER (CBS4)- On the final day of the Supreme Court's session, the majority of justices upheld nearly all of President Obama's health care reform plan. Now, Colorado's small business owners are weighing in on the decision.

Lowell Whitney owns a manufacturing business. He's not excited about the Supreme Court's ruling on health care.

He said for him, it's a deterrent to expanding his business and hiring more employees because he would be required to offer them health care.

"The cost for those employees goes up if the cost goes up it eats into our profits," said Whitney.

The ruling includes the individual mandate requiring Americans to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's liberal justices in the 5-to-4 ruling. They said that since Congress has the power to tax the mandate is constitutional.

At Da Kind Soups in Evergreen, co-owner Dustin has a different view of the health care plan.

"Here at the restaurant one evening I had a brain hemorrhage," said Dustin. "I had to spend two weeks in the hospital and some were intensive care."

Dustin said the Supreme Court's decision allows him access to coverage he may not have otherwise had because of his now pre-existing condition.

"I was ecstatic because I was worried that my health care was going to be taken away from me," said Dustin.

Whitney agrees that everyone should be able to afford good health care but sees the plan as a much greater issue than just medical benefits.

"I see it as another loss for freedom in this country," said Whitney.

In Thursday's decision, the justices did find problems with the law's expansion of Medicaid for the poor.

The court ruled the federal government cannot withhold full Medicaid allotments to states if they don't take part in the expansion.