College Students: Get Covered

The following is an special guest blog from Becky Smith, One Iowa’s Program Intern.

Many people assume that all college students are aware of the changes our nation is going through in regards to social justice. It is presumed that they are not only aware of the Affordable Care Act, but also of its potential benefits to them.

My experience, however, has been the exact opposite. College students are trapped in a sort of vacuum, where the Affordable Care Act is ultimately not discussed. Most college students assume that it is not information that applies to them.

Yet under the rules of our new health care coverage system, an individual may stay on their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26. They are also covered under their parent’s insurance while enrolled in college. While this is certainly beneficial for a student who is feeding themselves by fishing for quarters in the couch cushions, it becomes a topic of concern when they turn 26, and are then in charge of finding their own health care coverage. Also, for those college students that do not wish to or do not have the opportunity to remain on their parents’ insurance policy, the Health Insurance Marketplace offers new public programs and financial assistance that the students may be eligible for.

As an intern for One Iowa and a college student myself, I had the opportunity to present information about the Affordable Care Act to university students in the Des Moines area. The response I received during my presentations was shocking. Many students had no idea that they would someday be responsible for obtaining health care coverage. The lack of information these students had was cause for concern. Anxiety among students seemed to be a trend, but the more information they received about tax-credits and cost sharing, the more excited students seemed to become about having their very own health care coverage.

Getting covered under the Affordable Care Act can seem like an impossible task. It seems easier to put it off, or ignore it until you HAVE to deal with it. This is especially true for college students, who may have a year or more before they have to worry about getting their own health care coverage. Having clear, easy-to-understand information about the Affordable Care Act can make purchasing a health care plan much more manageable. For those that do not have health care coverage, the time to get covered is now.

With the information I provided at our presentations, my hope is that many college students are now better equipped with the tools they need to live healthy and get covered.

Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace ends March 31. Time is ticking—don’t delay in signing up for affordable health insurance through the Marketplace. You can enroll online at HealthCare.gov, or visit OneIowa.org/Health for more info. You can also call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. It’s time to get covered under the Affordable Care Act. Sign up today.

This blog was supported by a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are solely the responsibility of One Iowa Education Fund and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department.