U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (Contributed Photo)
Many students went to bed Sunday night worried about their Final Four brackets or their 9:30 quiz the next morning. But over 300 miles away, their legislators were working late to change the society they will be graduating into.
This week’s health care reform bill, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Tuesday after an arduous and slim win in the House of Representatives, guarantees that more than 30 million currently uninsured Americans will receive health care. The bill aims to reduce cost over time, thus lowering the national debt and improving health care for those who already have insurance, according to lawmakers.
Children who are under their parents coverage are now covered until they are 26 years old, when the bill takes effect.
In an interview with The Mirror, U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT), who represents Fairfield and surrounding towns, highlighted that college students will particularly benefit from the plan.
“I would say people in their early twenties, in an unsure job market, could get some peace of mind,” said Himes. “Many of the graduating students will have health care while looking for a job or can go start their own business and not have to worry about health care.”
The bill is set to go into effect as early as September of this year. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will look to slice as much as $1.3 billion out of our national debt, but the office also admits that those numbers are estimates that may fluctuate.
Many opponents of the bill said they are worried about a clause that states $61 billion will be cut from the financial-aid budget to fund the legislation. But Himes said that the reform will actually help many of those going to college.
“There is no (negative) affect on financial aid. The bill includes a section that creates student lending by the government and not the banks,” said Himes.
“This bill greatly increases the amount of financial aid through the Pell Grant. College will now be more affordable than ever,” he added.
The bill also states that insurers will not be allowed to be turn down children with preexisting conditions, based on those conditions. Adults will have the same provision applied to them in 2014.
Phillip Greiner, the associate dean of the School of Nursing, said the reform includes a substantial increase in funding for community health centers.
“Community health centers (federally qualified health centers) are primary care centers designed to serve low-income and undeserved populations. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have traditionally supported CHC’s,” said Greiner.
According to Greiner, “The bill strengthens funding for the public health workforce, increases access to primary care for those currently uninsured, and increases funding for preventive health services current not funded.”
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