With impending graduation and the requisite loss of parental health insurance for many, President Barack Obama's new health care plan has produced varied responses from AU students.
Some students, like David Lieberson, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, see the new plan in a positive light.
"There is no question that the United States needs reform," Lieberson said. "We consider ourselves the leading superpower, but we lag behind the rest of the Western world in one of the most vital aspects to survival."
Yet on the other side, there are also students that feel as Steve Mathany, a senior in the School of International Service, does.
"I believe that public health care is an overly naive inefficient system that will not work in a country as populated as America, but some systems need to be put in place to reduce health costs for the needy," Mathany said.
According to a recent estimate, the number of people uninsured in the United States is 46 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of these 46 million people, about 30 percent are Americans between the ages of 18 and 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the main concerns among students is losing their coverage due to a new health care system. Currently, if an AU student has health insurance through their parents' employer or business, they are able to use it while enrolled in school. If a new plan is obtained, many Americans question how it will differ from the previous one and if they will be able to be accepted if they have a previous medical condition, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Angelina Lee Cho, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, receives her health insurance through her parents' business.
"I'm a little nervous because I don't know how I feel about what's going to happen or if it's going to be working," Lee Cho said. "But health care has been an issue for a long time so maybe a completely new approach is what needs to happen."
To try and tame the anxiety towards revised health care, the Obama Administration recently made it clear that the plan would force insurers to cover anyone who is on a family plan until the age of 25, according to the Associated Press.
Francesca Giarratana, a senior in SPA, is interested in how health care reform is going to impact the job market.
"I think health care reform has a lot of potential to have a very positive impact on young people, especially recent college graduates," Giarratana said. "Instead of feeling compelled to stay in jobs to ensure health benefits, they will have more compelling opportunities that are now attainable."
You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.
