As the debate over healthcare reform has raged on during the past year, hyperbole seems to have become its defining feature. This is unfortunate because it has obscured many of the genuinely impressive aspects of the reform bills that have made their way through Congress. Now that the process seems to have temporarily cooled, however, it is worth taking a step back and examining the sorts of changes that individuals could actually expect to experience as a result of healthcare reform. For students at the University, there would be a number of subtle yet tangible benefits that would enhance their personal security and increase their opportunities both during their time in school and upon their graduation. For the sake of clarity, the ones listed below and the descriptions attached to them are all part of the Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is the legislative incarnation of health care reform that is most likely to be signed into law.
The most direct and immediate benefit to students is a provision mandating that health insurance companies allow young adults to remain on their parents' plans until they are 26 years of age. Such a policy would be in place within six months of the law being signed and would relieve students of one part of the pressure that they face upon graduating from college by ensuring that they no longer have to worry about medical coverage during the time that they spend looking for jobs. Furthermore, if the only jobs that are available to them do not offer health insurance coverage then young adults would have a few years of breathing room to either find employment with better benefits or to save up a financial cushion that would allow them to buy individual health insurance.
When purchasing that individual insurance, consumers would encounter a restructured marketplace that would be less like the Wild West and more like a grocery store. Think for a moment about how one currently chooses between individual health insurance plans. The process is so convoluted that it is difficult to describe, but generally it involves studying the Web sites of various insurance companies, placing a number of calls to each one, and then haggling with agents about intricate details that are beyond the average person's comprehension. If one is really lucky, he might know someone who has had prior experience with an insurance company and can provide feedback about the experience. Under very few circumstances, however, is a consumer actually going to be able to gather enough unbiased information to make an educated decision about what policy is right for him. Compare this process to shopping for groceries, which is extraordinarily easy since all of the items are lined up right next to each other with the prices and contents listed in plain view, and one gets an idea of how muddled our current health insurance system is. The Senate health reform plan, however, would create state-based health insurance exchanges that would sell a variety of different private plans that would be clearly described and presented side-by-side in a format not unlike what one would find at Kroger or Harris Teeter. On top of that, consolidating these insurance plans into one market would allow regulators to closely monitor and prohibit the unsavory business practices that currently define the insurance industry.
Foremost among these is the charging of higher premiums to individuals who are deemed to be of greater risk to insurance companies. Women of childbearing age are particularly hard-hit by this practice, often facing premiums that are 25 to 50 percent higher than those charged to men for identical plans. This adds yet another layer to gender inequality in America by placing a needless obstacle in the way of young women who are trying to advance in the labor market while simultaneously raising families. By preventing insurers from charging higher premiums because of gender, the Senate plan would protect young women who are already unfairly receiving less income than men from also having to pay more for their health insurance coverage.
Another component of health care reform applicable to a specific subset of young adults is a provision that would increase funding for scholarships and loan repayment from the National Health Service Corps to medical students who pledge to work as primary care practitioners in underserved areas. The effect of this policy would be to substantially lower the cost of medical school for many individuals, and it would offset any pay cuts that health care professionals might experience down the road as a result of lower insurance reimbursements. Additionally, by reducing the prohibitive cost barriers to medical school, this initiative would channel more talented and motivated young people into an industry that desperately needs their contributions.
Although it is easy to forget amidst all of the talk of "death panels" and "socialism," the health care reform bill that is only two steps away from becoming law would have concrete positive impacts upon most people in America. Students at the University are no exception, and it would be a shame if due to apathy or a lack of understanding they were to contribute to allowing this rare opportunity to slip away.
Matt Cameron is a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences.
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