A House bill that offers low-cost health insurance to 95 percent of Massachusetts residents and imposes penalties on those who do not invest in the plan, up for debate tomorrow, would directly affect college students who plan to live in Massachusetts after graduation. If the bill passes, residents age 19 to 26 will be eligible for lower-cost insurance premiums.
The proposed bill, backed by Democratic legislators and Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, is scheduled for debate tomorrow. It calls for a restructuring of health care laws and requires residents to invest in low-cost insurance or face financial penalties. This would free up funding for businesses and employers to better offer their own employees coverage.
“Health insurance is honestly not something I’ve thought about at all,” said College of Arts and Sciences senior Meghan Foster. “Since I’m concerned with finding a job now, the new plan doesn’t sound like a bad deal.”
Foster, who is a Massachusetts native, said insurance was just one of the many concerns on the minds of graduating seniors.
“It’s nice to think that even if I don’t have a job, I could be able to pay for health insurance [because it would be offered at a lower cost],” she said. “There’s no place in the U.S. that does anything like this for people like us. Maybe if Massachusetts can make it work, hopefully we could make some nationwide changes.”
The program aims to cover residents younger than 65 by linking them with affordable insurance carriers through the new Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector. These set providers would allow them to pay premiums with pre-tax dollars and would offer quality care.
“Young people can get insurance through the Connector at a very low cost, because I believe they are low risk as far as health problems are concerned,” House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said in an interview.
DiMasi said the plan covers young people age 19 to 26 and offers them monthly health insurance for $140 through the Connector.
“It’s affordable for them, and it’s an easy product to purchase,” he said. The House designed this portion of the bill “so young Massachusetts residents can be assured that they have coverage.
“If they’re injured or they become sick, even though there’s a requirement, I think the plan gives them peace of mind when they know they can get quality care,” DiMasi said.
Because health insurance has a strong impact on long-term livelihood, it is something upcoming graduates should seriously consider, BU spokesman Colin Riley said.
“No one should risk going without coverage, because even if you’re young, a serious illness could have long-term financial consequences,” Riley said.
Taking a job with health insurance is a very important benefit to consider, he said.
“It’s the costliest benefit that is offered by businesses,” he said. “Along with pension, it has a lot of value.”
Although some students considered the bill as helpful in their near future, others said they plan to risk going without insurance before obtaining a job with health insurance benefits.
“I think that if you’re chancing health care for a year or two, it’s not a big deal,” said CAS senior Kevin Cassidy. “Most of what you pay for in health care is in the last three years in your life.”
Cassidy said he will be covered by his parents’ health insurance until he turns 24, by which time he said hopes to have a job.
“I probably would be one of the people who chanced it until I got a job that covered me,” he said.
Cassidy, an economics major, said he disapproves of the proposed state legislation because it spreads the state’s resources too thinly.
“I think it’s inefficient, because people with health insurance end up paying for those without it, more specifically through premiums,” he said.