At Cal Poly, most students are unaware of the status of the health care reform being discussed in Congress. If these bills become law, they will have an effect on the future of Americans and their health insurance. Whether students are covered by their parents, pay for their own or do not have health insurance, the outcome of Congressional decision will affect their future health care options.
People are not following the health care debates and decisions because it is confusing. Out of a poll of 20 randomly-selected students, only seven said they “followed the health care debate.” As of Tuesday, the passing of President Obama’s health care plan became a more difficult reality. Due to the Republican filibuster, the Senate needed all 60 of the Democrats’ votes to pass the bill on Dec. 24. But Republican Scott Brown’s election could mean he will be the 41st vote against the bill, which would prevent its passing.
The health care bill is a complex document with confusing language and has many references to itself within the document. This can lead any reader in a circle.
A CNN news video discussing how to read the health care bill gives the example, “The assistance in sub-clause 8 shall consist of benchmark coverage in section 1937 B1.”
Not only are the bills hard to follow, but their amended or omitted options are as well. But even with all of the confusing language and changes, there are many resources at one’s disposal. I spent a few hours tackling this topic and was able to say I understood the the basics of the bills and the controversy surrounding them. Understanding the jargon might help.
Another important component of research is evaluating and diversifying sources. Taking into consideration who is providing the information and what is presented will lead to credible conclusions.
None of the students in the poll could define public option. One student guessed that it was the public’s prerogative to choose whether or not to have health insurance.
Of all of these options the most controversial is public option. This is a public health insurance option, meaning a health insurance plan that the U.S. federal government would offer amidst competing private insurance plans. People who are covered by their employer or state insurance programs like Medicare would not be eligible for the public option.
Opponents see the public option as the beginning of government’s takeover of this system. Rather than establishing competition in the health insurance market, opponents see the government eventually taking the place of private insurance companies.
Supporters say that the public option will provide competition between a nonprofit company (the public option) and the private health insurance companies. They believe this will force private insurance companies to lower their prices and make health coverage more affordable.
The House bill, H.R. 3962 or the Affordable Health Care for America Act, includes the public option, while the Senate Bill, H.R. 3590 or The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, includes a provision that allows each state to either opt-in or opt-out of the public option.
Abortion is another controversial issue that has been debated during the passage of these bills. In the House bill, there was an earlier amendment that prohibited federal funds from being used for abortion services. The Senate bill allows each state to decide whether abortion could be covered by health insurance. However, both bills have restriction on the use of federal funds for abortion services.
A final issue surrounding the bills is the cost and how they will be funded. While this is a very complicated issue, it is easy to do some research and find the answers.
The plan outlined in the House bill would cost over $1 trillion and would be paid for mainly by a surcharge on families making over $1,000,000 and individuals making over $500,000 annually. While the Senate’s plan would cost $871 billion and would be paid for by an increase in medicare payroll tax and a tax on “cadillac” plans. Cadillac insurance plans are high value insurance plans with low deductibles and high-end coverage.
Now that both of these bills have passed, health care reform will face two main challenges: being combined into one cohesive bill and then passing and becoming law.
This is all information that is readily available in newspapers around campus, online and on television. Although I can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of school, it is important to follow the issues that will affect all Americans. I don’t expect everyone to spend hours figuring out the health care debate, but it doesn’t take long to figure out the basics and keep up with the current events. This does affect everyone, and just because the issue isn’t black and white doesn’t mean it can be ignored. Do the research and get informed about your future.