The Affordable Care Act, an intricate piece of legislation often referred to as ObamaCare, has reformed the American health care system. The Affordable Care Act is aiming to provide American Citizens with quality and affordable health care.
The law will require all Americans to have health insurance by 2014 or they will be subject to a tax penalty. It is estimated that 44 million Americans are not currently covered by any health program and amongst this massive number are college students. And those insured through their parents can do so until age 26.
Oct. 1 opened the doors for college students to sign up directly through the new Marketplace Coverage Plans. The Marketplace is a program that determines the health coverage that fits your budget and covers your needs.
“I think it will help out students tremendously,” Scott Hennes, Director of California state University, Stanislaus’s Health Center said.
“I’ve been here at the university as a doctor taking care of students for the last year and a half and our biggest issue is they have no insurance. The students need to know the most important thing is that this is their responsibility to obtain health insurance.”
The Affordable Care Act will provide free preventive services, annual check-ups and prescriptions to students. Students who earn less than $46,000 annually may be able to access free or discounted coverage through monthly tax credits, depending on their income level. According to healthcare.gov, international students are covered as well under the new policy.
Universal health care is estimated to cost $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. Though the Affordable Care Act has several options that can aid college students, some fear how the impact of funds cut from college institutions could affect them.
“I think I’ve been very fortunate to not need any medical attention in the past few years,” Brandi Fields (senior, Cognitive Studies) said. “But, now that ObamaCare is in effect I do feel a bit of comfort knowing that I can always attend one of the local clinics or the Health Center here on campus without fearing that huge bill.”
“I’m not very informed yet on exactly how it works but I will be getting some information here soon in order to make sure my health is covered through ObamaCare.”
Due to the recent government shutdown there is limited access to information on federal websites. Students can still visit healthcare.gov for updated information on The Affordable Care Act and its policies.