The U.S. Congress is working to pass a new health care bill, but disagreement exists throughout the country and at St. Edward’s University regarding health care reform.

Five separate plans have been presented, and now Congress faces the task of bringing the information together. The possible outcomes for reform could fall between the ceasing of denial based on pre-existing conditions and the inclusion of a public option.

The Bill’s Passage

Marcos Soto, a senior, said although there has been a lot of media attention surrounding the divisions in the health care reform, he believes the bill will inevitably pass, despite the changes that have been proposed.

“I would not be surprised at all if the final version included various provisions or riders that were never intended to be there,” Soto said.

Brian Smith, associate professor of political science, said the only guarantee is a mandate repealing denial of coverage by insurance companies.

The public option, a government-run insurance program to compete with the private insurers, would be the maximum outcome. Depending on the Senate’s ruling, the bill will fall somewhere in between.

Universal Coverage

Nicholas Long, another associate professor of political science, said he thinks there will be a mandate for insurance companies to cover all Americans. This requirement could be beneficial to insurance companies as losses on people with pre-existing conditions will be outweighed by the healthy, low-risk people forced to purchase insurance.

Universal coverage would be enforced primarily through fines collected for not having insurance.

Christopher Duke, a senior, noted that there initially was a higher penalty, but it has since dropped, which makes it almost easier to pay the penalties instead of

ing insurance.

“This is one of the first times the federal government is mandating individuals to purchase a commodity,” Duke said. “Some states mandate the purchase of insurance in an attempt to mitigate costs… I think that has been an abysmal failure. We see people purchasing insurance and then just canceling it, so I’m not sure it will be a successful cost-preventative measure.”

Smith said he is willing to sacrifice a few people abusing the system for more universal coverage.

Treating the Sick

The legislation may also change the way health care is viewed. When people have insurance, they are likely to use it before their health situation is exacerbated. Long said the system proposed by President Obama will encourage people to stay well to avoid the costs of getting really sick.

Congress’ Decision

The inclusion of the highly-debated public option will depend on the Senate vote. The Democrats in the House have the numbers to push the public option through, but moderate Democrats are preventing this in the Senate. A conference committee will iron out the differences between the bills passed by the House and the Senate.

“I’m leaning toward the public option not being included, because the Senate is going to stand firm, ” said Long.

But Soto thinks there is a good chance the final bill will include a public option.

“It could be viewed as a form of true capitalism,” Soto said. “It is just another option for the American consumer to choose between. If the private insurance companies want to compete, then they’ll have to reform their pricing scales.”

Critics, however, have said that the bill won’t provide fair competition because the government, unlike private businesses, do not have to make a profit to survive.

The most popular bill in the Senate is what is known as the “Baucus bill,” named after its author, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. The bill creates government-run insurance cooperatives and is based on a tiered system.

“Think of it kind of like Olympic medals—gold, silver, bronze, etc. and they tax them at different rates,” Duke said.

The finer points of the bill are undecided, including its $900 billion price tag, and can be changed on the floor of the Senate by both Republicans and Democrats.

To reduce costs, Obama may have to go back on two promises he made during the presidential race, Smith said. He promised that those who are satisfied with their insurance will not have to change, and that health care benefits will not be taxed. Revoking both these promises may greatly upset many people, Smith said.

The payment plan for the bill is budget-neutral, meaning that the bill will not require deficit spending. Instead, the bill will use cuts in Medicare spending and new taxes to raise funds.

“The Obama administration is banking on savings to cover a lot of the costs,” Long said. “And there’s no guarantee that will happen.”

Long says he agrees with the bill even if it adds to the record deficit.

“There are some things that are worth doing,” he said. “If you look at other nations with universal coverage, health care is about 10 percent of their gross domestic product. Ours is 16 percent… eventually that will move toward the 10 percent of other industrialized nations.”

The Bill’s Impact

There is a concern this could increase the burden on younger generations.

“Basically, you healthy kids mandated to have insurance will help defray our costs,” said Smith. “Insurance companies want [young customers] because you pay and don’t use. You are the perfect customer.”

This could hit students and new graduates at St. Edward’s hard.

Soto said he recently became uninsured when his parents’ employer-provided insurance would no longer cover him.

“I am a full-time student, and I honestly cannot afford medical insurance at this point,” he said. “If this bill were to pass, then I may be able to acquire necessary coverage. All I can do now is…stave off any illness. Getting sick is never a good thing, but being sick and not having the means to afford professional treatment is far worse.”

However, both Smith and Long said that little will change for most people.

“The day after the bill passes, if I go to the doctor it’s a $25 co-pay as usual,” said Smith.

Democrats are hoping to pass the bill before Christmas, pending any significant delays.

“Comprehensive reform is very, very difficult,” Smith said.

Soto said that he thinks one of the reasons for the difficulties is a competition of ideas.

“Whenever there is sweeping legislation, there are always those who believe their idea is better suited to the needs of the country,” Soto said.