Two new surveys released Wednesday show a significant number of college and recent graduate-aged young adults have gained insurance from the Affordable Care Act, popularized by some as “Obamacare,” in the face of the country’s economic struggles.
One of the studies, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows about 1 million more adults under 26 now have health insurance under the act compared to a year ago.
The act includes a provision allowing students to remain on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26. Previously, most students were booted off their parents’ plans after college.
This year at MSU, the act spurred administrators to adopt a new health care policy, which requires all students to have insurance to be enrolled at the university.
The act, along with other pieces of similar legislation, lowered the cost of health insurance enough for the university to move forward with the plan this year, said Kathleen Braunlich, communications and marketing manager for Olin Health Center.
If a student entering college cannot prove they have health coverage they automatically will be billed for an insurance package through the university, Braunlich said.
The university-provided health care plans also can be rolled into financial aid packages, she said.
“It’s a protective thing for students,” Braunlich said, adding some uninsured students who previously faced sickness were forced to drop out after they could not afford to pay medical bills.
Although MSU long has offered health care plans for students, the new plans are improved from in years past.
The new plans raise coverage costs from $50,000 to $250,000 per medical condition and eliminate pre-existing condition clauses that barred coverage for some.
Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said the recent data shows the act is a necessary step in helping young adults acheive the jobs they want.
“As they begin their careers, these young adults will be able to make choices based on what they want to do, rather than where they can get health insurance,” Sebelius said.
A Gallup poll, also released Wednesday, shows the age demographic of 18- to 25-year-olds has seen a 4 percent drop since 2010
The two come in the wake of a Census Bureau report released this month, which shows a drop in the number of 18- to 24-year-olds without insurance — about a 2 percent drop since last year — to 27.2 percent.
English senior Erika Murdey said MSU should provide students more insurance options rather than charging the plan to their account.
“They should use loan leftovers to cover it and let students shop around for coverage they can afford,” she said.
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