U.S. House Democrats on Sunday pushed through the health care bill that will extend coverage to more than 32 million uninsured Americans. The narrow victory of 219 to 212 votes in favor of the health care bill promises full health care reform by 2014.
Under the new bill, insurers will be barred from turning down people with medical problems by 2014, and the government will provide tax credits to help millions of working families buy coverage they can’t currently afford.
Within the next six months, the government will send $250 rebate checks to seniors in the Medicare drug coverage gap, and young adults graduating from college to join the workforce will be able to stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26.
Despite the gravity of this historical vote, many Cal State Long Beach professors believe there are concerns on the horizon.
“It still has a lot of kinks, but it is still a big improvement than what we have now,” said Robert Friis, chair of the health science department. “As the program develops, there will be modifications to better the policy. In my opinion, yes, it will work.”
Political science professor Richard Haesly said people will most likely keep their plans, but companies can expect to see some movement in people’s choices and will need to start providing more coverage options.
“This will be the first step for policy makers. It will help answer the main question about how do you get health costs under control,” Haesly said.
Students also have mixed feelings on the health care bill’s passage.
“I’m just not sure about it,” said Rebecca Hicks, a senior computer science major. “I’m happy it got passed. I’m happy there’s some progress — I just don’t know what that progress means.”
Even with months of work ahead of Congress, professors say the historical significance of this vote is undeniable.
“It’s historic because Republicans stood strongly against it and Democrats, even with 60 votes, it seemed impossible that they were going to pass it in the Legislature,” Haesly said.
Many students have been concerned about switching from their parents’ insurance to their school’s, wondering if going back to their parents’ insurance is possible, Haesly said.
“From where we are, I think things are taking a turn for the better,” said Vig Sathiamoorthy, a senior political science major. “I got dropped from my parents’ insurance because I’m a senior and only took two classes instead of four.”
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the main legislation today after his nearly year-long battle to reform health care.
“This is what change looks like,” Obama said in a televised speech. “We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people.”
Obama went on to say, “If you have health insurance, this reform just gave you more control by reining in the worst excesses and abuses of the insurance industry with some of the toughest consumer protections this country has ever known — so that you are actually getting what you pay for.”
Even with this statement, some students think the bill won’t live up to all that it has promised.
“I think because we dug into it so much, it won’t do as much, but I do think it will help,” said Robert Bryson, a senior political science major. “I’m getting kicked off my parents insurance, so now when I’m looking for jobs, I’m looking at their insurance plans.”
Even students happy with the bill’s passage have new concerns looming over them.
Abraham Santos, a senior sociology major, said, “I agree with it but since I worked with Medi-Cal, I don’t know if I’m going to be laid off.”