Senior Juliette Dallas-Feeney, a Hatchet columnist, argues that students have a vested interest in the current health care debate.
Amidst the raucous health care town halls and protests over the summer, older Americans often took center stage voicing their concerns. But young people across the country are beginning to realize that whatever plan passes through Congress will directly affect them, for better or for worse. A few weeks ago, a University of Colorado student, Zach Lahn, made headlines when he questioned the President’s proposal of a public option, challenging him to an Oxford-style debate. Earlier this summer, a student group named Campus Progress protested on Capitol Hill for affordable health insurance.
However, to the extent people in the younger age group are apathetic with respect to the health care issue, that may have weakened an important element in the grass roots movement that was so central to Obama’s electoral success. At the same time, older age groups may not have been well organized during the election but now may have coalesced around an issue that inspires grass roots action for them. So, could it be that the balance has shifted and the administration overestimated the strength of its grass root base with respect to health care?
When we think of health care insurance we tend to neglect thinking about the young adults just starting out in life. Ms Feeney has succintly portrayed the delimma of health care of the young adult. Salaries will be low and debts high. Congress must recognize their need.
Well put and very true!
Not enough has been said about the students health care after college, well written and glad this was brought into light.
I have a son 23 and we must think of the younger set as well as older.
Thank you.
Article is extremely well written and addresses a concern many parents have for their 20 something children. I agree that extending the age for coverage under parent’s policy is a cost savings as well as simply a good idea.
Many new grads do think they are invincible and often the last thing on their minds is health insurance. Accidents happen all the time and are most common when you least expect it. Short term medical insurance for new grads is a pretty good option until you are able to find a job that offers health benefits. The coverage doesn’t include doctor visits or any kind of preventative care but does cover you if something “catastrophic” were to occur plus its affordable. GradGuard.com offers some basic tips for new graduates looking for cheap health insurance.
To Juliette and the other commenters:
Please go to http://www.ehealthinsurance.com, a searchable “exchange” of health plans to explore all of your options.
Juliette: How about a follow up, or an update to the original article?
Generally, plans are available for $50-150 around the U.S., often with Rx coverage.
Often, I see it’s the narrative alone that private, individual insurance plans are prohibitively expensive that keeps many young people from buying insurance. For many (myself included), if and when they explore the facts, they learn this is not at all the case.
Example, I read an article about an uninsured 23 year-old girl in Ohio. Recent graduate. Employed. She stated that there was “no options available for under, like, $400/month.”
I ran a quick search for a female, 23 years, non-student, non-smoker on ehealthinsurance.com:
Several plans, from @ $50-75 were available.
I suspect this is the case with many of these uninsured invincibles.
Even a basic plan is better than no plan, and on average, less than a single day’s pay at minimum wage is hardly prohibitive. Not a complete solution to the health care debate, but a great, great start.
Thanks.