2008 Woodie Awards
Insurance costs threaten students
The Whitworthian Editors
Issue date: 2/20/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
Health insurance. Who cares?
You should.
The United States is faced with a health-care crisis that has never been seen in the country, and current college graduates are right in the middle of it.
An example of a college student was given at a recent on-campus health care discussion. After graduating, he took substitute teaching jobs for almost a year while looking for a full-time position with benefits. During that time, he did not qualify under his parents insurance, yet could not afford to pay for his own thanks to expensive monthly premiums. The graduate went uninsured for the year, leaving him at risk for serious debt if he were sick or injured during that time. The student fell into the category of one of the more than 45 million uninsured in our country.
The millions of uninsured are a major problem, but a second problem is the quality of care. Currently, every state has its own medical licensing standards. This means that medical care in some states is better than care in other states. The United States needs federal standards for doctors and nurses to be licensed by to ensure that consistent care is given across the country. A federal license standard will also allow hospitals to share consistent records over state borders so that if a person moves to a new state, the medical records will be easily understood by every clinic.
However, the health-care problem only seems to be getting started. In 2011, the average baby boomer will turn 65 and will begin to use more and more health care. They will realize that private health care is too expensive on a fixed income, and boomers will pressure lawmakers to pass bills to help their demographic: the retired and the elderly. While it is important that the baby boomer generation remain covered, it is also important that everyone is able to get the medical care they need without going into life-changing debt to secure it.
The health-insurance crisis is very complicated, and there are many reasons premiums have risen quickly and exponentially. But the fact is, young adults need to be proactive in ensuring they have affordable insurance for themselves and future generations.
Voting for comprehensive health care reform does not sound sexy or exciting, but it needs to be a priority for our generation. The country does not need a federal health-care system or a sacrifice by the richest American's to help the poorest. What we do need is a comprehensive plan that will allow Americans to be able to afford health care and medication even when they are out of a full-time job or making the leap from college to the real world.
If the richest country in the world is not helping young adults survive while transitioning into their professional lives, leaving young Americans skeptical of the state and in huge amounts of debt when faced with a health concern they cannot afford.
You should.
The United States is faced with a health-care crisis that has never been seen in the country, and current college graduates are right in the middle of it.
An example of a college student was given at a recent on-campus health care discussion. After graduating, he took substitute teaching jobs for almost a year while looking for a full-time position with benefits. During that time, he did not qualify under his parents insurance, yet could not afford to pay for his own thanks to expensive monthly premiums. The graduate went uninsured for the year, leaving him at risk for serious debt if he were sick or injured during that time. The student fell into the category of one of the more than 45 million uninsured in our country.
The millions of uninsured are a major problem, but a second problem is the quality of care. Currently, every state has its own medical licensing standards. This means that medical care in some states is better than care in other states. The United States needs federal standards for doctors and nurses to be licensed by to ensure that consistent care is given across the country. A federal license standard will also allow hospitals to share consistent records over state borders so that if a person moves to a new state, the medical records will be easily understood by every clinic.
However, the health-care problem only seems to be getting started. In 2011, the average baby boomer will turn 65 and will begin to use more and more health care. They will realize that private health care is too expensive on a fixed income, and boomers will pressure lawmakers to pass bills to help their demographic: the retired and the elderly. While it is important that the baby boomer generation remain covered, it is also important that everyone is able to get the medical care they need without going into life-changing debt to secure it.
The health-insurance crisis is very complicated, and there are many reasons premiums have risen quickly and exponentially. But the fact is, young adults need to be proactive in ensuring they have affordable insurance for themselves and future generations.
Voting for comprehensive health care reform does not sound sexy or exciting, but it needs to be a priority for our generation. The country does not need a federal health-care system or a sacrifice by the richest American's to help the poorest. What we do need is a comprehensive plan that will allow Americans to be able to afford health care and medication even when they are out of a full-time job or making the leap from college to the real world.
If the richest country in the world is not helping young adults survive while transitioning into their professional lives, leaving young Americans skeptical of the state and in huge amounts of debt when faced with a health concern they cannot afford.
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