Katie Schultz

News Editor

 

Even though President Barack Obama signed the new health care plan into law on March 23, the battle over health care on Capitol Hill is far from over. As both parties take their positions, the real concern comes down to the effect that this bill will have on the American people. Specifically, the up and coming middle class, the students that fill colleges and universities across the United States. 

Obama’s health care plan has several components for the insured and uninsured alike. 

The new plan gives the options for individuals to keep their current health insurance. It also prevents discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, it prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage after people get sick, and it eliminates extra charges for medical treatment like mammograms, flu shots, diabetes tests, and it protects Medicare for seniors. 

There is also an option for individuals to remain covered by their parents’ insurance until the age of 26.

“I see (the bill) as being beneficial for students,” said Nick Lopez, political science major. “The clause about staying under parent’s insurance until 26 is fantastic. Over time this will help college students.”

For those who are uninsured, the plan provides tax credits to help individuals and small businesses pay for health care, it provides a public health insurance option for individuals who can not afford insurance from private firms and it creates a new insurance marketplace called the Exchange. This will allow the uninsured and small businesses to shop around for health care, and provides immediate, low-cost coverage through a “high risk” pool to protect people with pre-existing conditions until the Exchange is created.

“I hope the bill will do what it said it will do, and really solve the problem,” said William Owen, business major. “At the same time I am also incredibly skeptical. I am afraid that this will only prove to be detrimental to our national deficit, and that it will only start to put more insurance firms out of business, and more people will loose their jobs.”

The plan is intended to make health care more affordable. The cost of the plan is expected to be $940 billion over 10 years, and reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the first 10 years. It plans to implement delivery system reforms, create independent commission for doctors and medical experts, and immediate medical malpractice reform projects. 

The plan also requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance or pay a $2,000 fine per worker. If, by 2014, individuals do not have health insurance they face a $695 annual fine, with exceptions for low-income individuals.

To help pay for the plan, individuals who make more than $200,000 a year and families making more than $250,000 a year will have to pay additional Medicaid payroll taxes and investment income taxes.

At this point it’s hard to see how this will shake out for Mesa State students and the health care center that the college provides.

Vice President for Student Affairs John Marshall said the Student Health Care Center is operated by Community Hospital and funded by general tuition. Any student who is enrolled has access to the service, which includes a $15 co-pay for basic care. This does not include the cost for x-ray and referral services. If students are insured their insurance company will be billed and if they are not insured Community Hospital is willing to work with the individual.

“People are sorting this out all across the country, not just here,” said Dana Nunn, MSC media relations director.

As students agree to disagree when it comes to health care, others are fed up with the health care debate all together. “I understand it’s important, but everybody talks about it too much,” said Zack Gajewski, business administration major. “It’s no concern to me, because we are all screwed anyway.”

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kschultz@mesastate.edu