Health care coverage concerns lie in my future

By Nora Sullivan

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I'm 19 years old, about to enter my junior year of college. I'm told I have “my whole life ahead of me.” But I'm not sure what that means right now.

Will I find a good job in this economy? Or any job? Will that job provide health insurance? There is a lot of uncertainty facing my generation right now.

Thankfully, with the Affordable Care Act approved two years ago, I know there is one less thing I have to worry about the moment I graduate: insurance coverage.

But it seems that too many people are focused on fighting the same old political fights. The U.S. Supreme Court has the opportunity to finally set the record straight and send us on a path to move forward.

My parents have always told me that the point of school is to learn as much as I can and pursue subjects that interest me, no matter where they lead me. College, therefore, was not to be seen as a single-lane highway toward getting a job just to make money. That goal was secondary to feeling like I had followed my heart and learned all that I could. I will leave Drake with a double major in International Relations and Religious Studies - not exactly an exploding minefield of job opportunities.

But I know that whatever I do when I finish my undergrad, I will not immediately be terrified of an unexpected illness, which makes it that much easier to believe that my whole life does, in fact, “lie ahead of me.”

The law as it stands allows me to stay on my parents' health plan until age 26. This means freedom to pursue my future, and security to know that I can get health care should I get sick.

Before the law was passed, young people had few choices to afford health coverage if they weren't lucky enough to get a job that provided health insurance. I'm pretty sure we all know someone who rolled the dice. “I'll be fine. I'm young. I'm healthy. What could happen to me?” And we all know that things happen - such as the accident that changes everything.

Of course, before the health care law, if you grew up with a pre-existing condition or a chronic disease, your chances of getting any sort of coverage was nearly impossible. Insurance companies were looking for any excuse they could to deny or drop coverage when someone needed it the most. Now, because of the Affordable Care Act, those insurance company abuses can no longer happen.

Yet, the response from some seems to be “let's go back to the way things used to be.” Back to a time when I couldn't afford health care? When insurance companies could drop my coverage when I needed it? Or stop paying for me if I do get sick?

No way. I want the comfort of coverage and the chance to build my future.

Nora Sullivan of Denver, Colo., is entering her third year at Drake University. Comments: nora.sullivan@drake.edu