For Kevin Kane, health insurance was the last priority after paying for food and rent during his time at Marquette University, until he woke up with intense eye pain and blindness.
“The doctors told me I would be blind within two months,” Kane said via Skype at a presentation Monday on students using the Affordable Care Act. “It was then that health insurance went to number one on my list.”
At the presentation, the Population Health Institute partnered with the Wisconsin Union Directorate to present more than 500 Wisconsin students from 22 different campuses with an informational webcast on how the Affordable Care Act will affect them.
Prior to ACA’s passage, roughly 6 to 8 percent of students in the UW system did not have health insurance, Sarah Van Orman, executive director of University Health Services, said.
“The ACA has changed the insurance landscape for young adults, offering you more opportunities and responsibilities,” Elizabeth Feder, a spokesperson for PHI said.
Feder said while staying on a parents’ plans may seem like the simplest option for students, it is not always the most financially advantageous choice, nor does it always provide the most benefits.
The webcast provided information on the various options available to students without giving preference to a specific one, she said.
“You need to get covered for your health, for your financial security and for your academic success,” Feder added.
Caroline Gomez, a spokesperson for Covering Kids and Families, explained the new elements of the health care system under ACA as a “three-legged stool” which relies on employer-based private coverage, public programs and the health insurance marketplace.
Gomez also outlined changes to the system that will be taking place next year, including guarantees of coverage for adults with pre-existing conditions, the full operation of the federal marketplace and assistance such as tax credits for those who cannot afford coverage and the individual mandate.
“Everyone needs to be in play to make this ‘chair’ strong,” she said. “Otherwise, if there are not enough people enrolled in one of these ‘legs’ then the law itself might not work well.”
Associate Dean for UW Public Health Pat Remington said there is concern among the students over the individual mandate.
This part of the law will mean those without coverage will be required to pay a, “shared responsibility payment,” of $95 in 2014 and $695 in 2016.
“The idea is that these prices will stagnate, or become cheaper, as more and more people feed into the demand,” Gomez said.
Kathleen Falk, regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said access to information on healthcare is essential for young people.
“I am counting on my home state to show the rest of the nation that we care about our young people,” Falk said. “Our young people not only are top in academics, top in athletics, top-grade people, but also are most insured.”
