This Sunday, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, by a vote of 219-212. Not a single republican voted for the bill and many conservative democrats rejected the bill, 39 voted against it.

The issue of health care reform has been a subject of considerable controversy for nearly a year now. While republicans lament the likely increases in tax and costs, liberal democrats consider the bill’s passing a victory in the interest of basic human rights. The Republican National Committee claimed in a recent statement that the bill will “increase families’ health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare.”

Whether those statements are true will not be known for sometime.

What we know now is the immediate affect it will have on increasing students ability to procure health insurance.

Whether liberal or conservative, St. Edward students should be aware of how this new bill will affect them and ultimately benefit them once they graduate from college.

As college students, we will soon face the task of purchasing our own health insurance. For many graduates, this will be a daunting task, given the current state of the economy and the difficulty of obtaining an entry-level position after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. The bill will allow graduates more time to accrue the funds necessary to afford health insurance.

Prior to the bill, most insurance companies dropped dependents when they finished college or reached the age of 19, policies that varied from state to state. Within the first year of enactment, the bill will create a national policy that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until the age of 26. This will give young graduates several years after college to establish their careers before they have to worry about purchasing health insurance.

Another benefit of the bill is the creation of health insurance exchanges. Government agencies and non-profit organizations will be called to administer American Health Benefit Exchanges and Small Business Help Option Exchanges, wherein individuals and small businesses up to 100 people will have the opportunity to purchase health insurance. In Austin, a city full of small grassroots businesses and non-profits, where many St. Edward’s students are employed after graduating, this is an incredibly significant provision.

Additionally, within the first year of the bill’s enactment, insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping people from coverage when they become ill. The bill will eliminate limits on lifelong coverage and restricts annual limits as well. This benefits not only St. Edward’s students, but also their families. In short, it benefits everyone.

Those who criticize the passing of H.R. 3962 should stop to think about all of the ways this bill will make their lives and the lives of those they care about easier.