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Health Care View 2010
Kristen Gallagher, Staff Writer
On March 21, 2010, the Af
fordable Health Care for America
Act was passed and signed into law
by President Barack Obama. In a
document created by the Commit
tees on Ways & Means, Energy &
Commerce, and Education & Labor
and entitled “Implementation
Timeline,” the timeline for the Act
to fully come into effect would last
until about 2018. This act, whether
or not you know it right now, has
a significant impact on college .
students across the nation.
The Act aims to change the
American health care and insur
ance playing field drastically. Its
goals include improving Medic
aid and Medicare, stopping the
practice of dropping sick patients
from insurance, and making
specific strides in pediatric health
care. This piece of legislation has
perhaps been the most widely
debated and caustically chal
lenged bill in our nation’s short
history; however, it is clear that
both “sides” feel strongly about the
Act. Asking around a little, I found
Northeast University freshman
Emily Walker had a strong opin
ion: “The bill, taken as a whole, is
expected to decrease the federal
deficit by $81 billion. Everyone in
the country will find the care they
need available and affordable. Did
you know that before now, your
insurance company paid roughly
half of what an uninsured indi
vidual had to pay for most types
of care, just because they wprked
out ‘deals’ designed to artificially
drive market prices up? Fiscally ir
responsible practices like that will
be greatly reduced under this bill.”
Although Emily’s fervor isn’t un
matched: the Facebook Group “I
bet we can find 1,000,000+ people
who disapprove of the Health Care
Bill,” which has 1,167,715 mem
bers, posted the following under
its Information section, “The
purpose of this Group is to serve
as an outlet and organizational
platform for those that believe in
health care reform, but believe
that such should be bipartisan,
fiscally responsible, minimize role
of government and be approved
through a legislative process true
to the intent of our Constitution.
We welcome people of all party
affiliations.”
In regards to college
students in particular, there are
some very clear changes that
have been made. According to a
CBS News online articled en
titled “Health Care Reform Bill
Summary: A Look At What’s in
the Bill,” children are allowed
to remain on their parent’s plan
N THIS ISSUIH..
State & Local: Road Conditions in NC
National & International: Hottest Chilli, Potholes
Arts & Entertainment: How I Learned to Drive, Re
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Sports: Super Bowi
Opinion: Letter from the Editor, Somethings Gotta Give
Be a Wellness Coach!
If you love working with people and have an interest in
health and nutrition, you can make a difference in your
community as a wellness coach! PT and FT positions
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until they are 26 - that’s 3-4 years
after the average college student
graduates. Another thing to note
is that once you’re off your par
ent’s insurance, you will be eligible
■ to buy your own insurance on an
exchange if you “make between
• too percent - 400 percent of the.
Federal Poverty Level.” However,
if you do so, you won’t be eligible
for “Medicare, Medicaid and (you)
cannot be covered by an employer.”
Also, beginning in 2012, the Medi
care Payroll Tax will be enlarged
to cover unearned income, mean
ing for families who make over
$250,000 a year, or individuals
making over $200,000 a year,
there will be a 3.8% tax on invest
ment income. For those ofyou
who like to tan - CBS also reported
that there will be a “Tanning Tax —
10 percent excise tax on indoor tan
ning services.” Abortion^ another
hot topic and especially so among
college-age individuals, is dealt
with in this manner, according to
CBS: “The bill segregates private
insurance premium funds from
taxpayer funds. Individuals would
have to pay for abortion coverage
by making two separate payments,
private funds would have to be kept
in a separate account from federal
and taxpayer funds. No health care
plan would be required to offer
abortion coverage. States could
pass legislation choosing to opt
out of offering abortion coverage
through the exchange.” According
to the “Implementation Timeline”
mentioned above, the plan requires
that individuals buy health insur
ance or “pay a penalty of 2.5% of
their income that is capped at the
cost of the average cost of quali
fied coverage.” The annual fine that
results is $695, and there are a few
exemptions for low-income indi
viduals.
By 2018, all employers
are required to meet the essential
benefits package. 2018 is seems
light years away, but is truly only
8 short years off. Those 8 years
will see radical alterations in the
national plane, and to understand
those changes, we need to perk
up our ears, listen, and choose the-
future we want for ourselves. As
college students in this new de
cade, we both live in this country
and decide its future. This article
The Census Is
Important, Not
Optional
Michelle Farthing, Staff Writer
Many people will not take the
time to fill out their 2010 United States
census form because they do not think it
is necessary- and question its true influ
ence on our nation. However, it is consid
ered a mistake if you choose to disi-egard
it and there are numerous reasons why.
The census provides information
on how billions of dollar's of federal firnd-
ing every' year is spent on benefits such as
hospitals, schools. Job training centers,
senior centers, and emergency ser\'ices.
Those who question its significance
should first listen to Gordon De .Jong, a
professor of Sociology and Demography
at Penn State University who says, “The
censits is most dcfiniteh’ important. Our
whole represeirtativ e detrrocracy is based
on it.” He strengthens his argunrent by
including the public saying, "Equitably
distributing the billions of dollars of pub
lic money requir-es up-to-date population
data.” He explains the census process as
a fair-ly sinrple oire, until extra steps rrrust
be taken in or-der for people to par-tici-
pate. If rmrltiple mailed notifications and
phone calls are ignored, “then a census
woi-ker will visit the household,” says Dc
.long.
Many pr'ofessors and political
figures throughout the nation ar'e offering
their encouragement to fill out the census
this year and from now on. C.N. Le, a
Professor at University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, may put it best saying, “...an ac
curate count of the U.S. population forms
the basis for many important but often
overlooked political, economic, and .social ,
decisions that are made that end up af- 7
fecting our daily liyes.”
At Meredith. Cen.sus forms were
delivered to student roonrs on April 5th
and are due to the Office of Residence
Life today by 5 pm. Be sure to turn yours
only gives a small glimpse of the new Act,
but to be fully informed, each of us need to
make ourselves aware of political changes,
healthcare reform, and the ever-changing
world around us.