B Y LILLY BRADBURN
While the battle for heath care in America has been going on for several months now, it wasn’t until this past March that the country saw one of the most drastic reforms in healthcare since Medicare and Medicaid were enacted. After months of being thrown back and forth between the House and Senate, H.R. 3590, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was enacted into law on March 23rd, 2010. While the battle to make this law has finally ended with President Obama’s signature, debate whether it will succeed or not still rages on.
In simply trying to look up the name of this health care law, one can get lost in what has become one of the most controversial issues of our time. The bill certainly wasn’t the first to come about. It is a product of numerous drafts and attempts by both political parties to deal with healthcare. But a lesser publicized addition with this law is the creation of another, H.R.4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act. Together both these laws, clumped together in this sweeping health care reform, will bring drastic short term and long term effects to the country.
Some 32 million Americans will be granted health insurance with this new law as long as they qualify to receive it. Under the new reform, some 95% of Americans will be insured. While this new federal insurance won’t provide for those under a certain poverty level, Medicaid will be expanding coverage to those whose income does not exceed 133% the federal poverty line. Medicare beneficiaries, who previously lost help in paying for prescription drugs after a certain point, will now receive full coverage, eliminating what had been coined “the donut hole” of Medicare.
Opponents, however, have been pointing to some major flaws. One of the most obvious is the tax that will penalize those who do not sign up for the federal insurance. Under the new law, except for a certain percentage of poor Americans, citizens will be penalized 2.5% of their income, or 695$, when they fail to purchase the insurance. Pro-Choice supporters disagree with the laws continuance of no federal funding for abortions. Some of the more interesting facets of this law include a 10% tax on any indoor tanning, something that will come into effect near late September of this year. Also, the age in which children can stay under their parents insurance has been extended to 26. Viewed by most as a historic movement, both sides still point to its flaws.
While many citizens will see huge benefits in terms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many more college students will being seeing changes with the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act. This part of the health care reform focus mainly on the loan system in America. A major reform to take place for this law will be the discontinuing of private lenders as a middle man between federal loan money and students. Under the new law some $61 million will be saved for tax-payers. $31 million of this will then be turned over to the Pell Grant system, providing many minority
students and poorer Americans with money for college. Also, the federal PLUS loan process will be made easier for parents. Perhaps the greatest reform will be to those who become new borrowers after 2014. If students with federal loans continue to make timely payments for 20 years, their loans will be forgiven.
Clearly this law is historic and will most likely take years to perfect. While there has been definite opposition and support, months of preparation and debate have lead to some drastic changes that will affect most, if not all Americans. Currently, according to the Student Financial Services at Green Mountain College, some 220 domestic and international students receive the college’s health insurance, the rest of students most likely are on their parent’s or their own insurance. It will be interesting to see how the new reform will affect students, both with Financial Aid and health insurance. One thing is for sure, all Americans are about to see a change.
