Students divided over health care reform

On Nov. 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a 1,990-page bill calling for nationwide health care reform, fueling the health care debate that has been raging throughout the nation for years.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act was narrowly approved by a vote of 220 to 215 and is estimated to cost $1.1 trillion throughout 10 years.
   
The bill includes the institution of a public health care option to compete with privately-offered insurance; the offering of subsidies in the form of “affordability credits” based on income and the price of insurance; the institution of the Health Insurance Exchange to offer a transparent health insurance marketplace for uninsured individuals, small businesses and veterans; and an expansion of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Since its passage more than a week ago, the bill has sparked heated controversy over its cost, the effectiveness of the public option and the inclusion of an amendment that denies taxpayer money to any insurance plan that covers abortions.

The bill has been celebrated by some as historic while others, such as Forbes CEO Steve Forbes, have deemed it “the worst piece of legislation to pass Congress ... since the 1930s.”

And with all of the controversy surrounding the bill, many are doubting whether it’s the government’s place to ensure that all Americans are insured.

According to the most recent Gallup poll, 50 percent of those polled do not believe that it is the government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, with 47 percent responding that it should. This is the first time since Gallup began asking this question in 2001 that the majority of Americans polled have said that it is not the federal government’s responsibility.

Matt Sexton, a sophomore political communication major, “vehemently” disagrees with the current health care proposal.

“On the issue of changing health care, I agree that changes should be made; in fact I think it would be difficult to find anyone convinced our system is perfect,” he said. “However, a deviation from the ‘for profit’ motive should not be wholeheartedly embraced.

“A majority of Americans are fine with their health insurance, but that is not stopping the government from demanding to enter the market place to compete with zero incentive to make a profit, thus eliminating its private competitors entirely,” he continued.

While Sexton agrees that the government should offer health insurance to “uninsurables,” or people with preexisting conditions that are currently denied insurance, he believes it is an error for the government to offer health care to the general public, arguing for the free market and against government intervention.

Sexton also took issue with the nearly 2,000-page length of the bill.

“The complexity of this bill will undoubtedly be executed by the interpretation of judges across this country,” he said. “That will inherently allow the bill to progress into something not originally intended by its creators, something seen time and time again with affirmative action, tort reform, campaign finance, etc.”

While junior political science major Molly Grady doesn’t believe the bill is perfect, she thinks it’s an important step forward for health care reform.

“The bill as it is isn’t really what anyone wants completely,” she said. “It’s not what Obama wants, it’s not what the Democrats want, it’s definitely not what the Republicans want. But the fact that it passed is great, because it means that there’s an open doorway now for a more stable bureaucracy of health care work.”

Grady expressed a desire to see health insurance offered for the currently-uninsured, especially small businesses and college-age students, who she believes have difficulty finding affordable health insurance.

“You shouldn’t have to get hurt one weekend and just deal with it because you can’t go to the emergency room,” she said.

“I don’t want to come off sounding like a die-hard socialist, but I really think the government is in charge of keeping its people safe, and if they’re in charge of keeping terrorism and stuff out and keeping people alive that way, I think health is just as important — keeping your citizens alive,” she concluded.