The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Care a concern for grads

By By Janet Lui, News Correspondent

Today’s college graduates aspire for a better future in the midst of a broken economy and decreased job market. Not only do graduates have to deal with economic instability and job insecurity, but healthcare costs are also on the rise. And while Northeastern students enjoy health care services provided by the university, it is just one more task seniors will have to worry about after graduation.
Several Northeastern students said they are worried about obtaining health coverage when they graduate.
‘It’s something that’s going to be increasingly difficult to get without a job . . . if I can find a job, that would be fine,’ sophomore economics major Ben Frost said.
In 2006, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney passed a state law that mandates a system similar to universal healthcare for residents of the state. In addition to supporting employer-provided health insurance, the act created economical plans for lower income individuals and small businesses.
The rising trend in individuals seeking out health coverage on their own presents a challenge to millions of Americans, and especially recent college graduates without jobs or employee benefits.
Options are available through Fairmont Specialty and Markel Insurance Company in other surrounding states, like Maine and Pennsylvania. These plans are only available with three-to-six month commitments and a combination of higher deductibles and lower monthly payments or vice versa. An estimation of the health insurance cost for a 23-year-old female of average weight is a $500 deductible and monthly payments of $146.
Deductibles range from $500 to more than $2,000 for these temporary insurance plans, and individuals are looking at monthly payments between $100 and $160. On the surface, the monthly payments seem reasonable, but many graduates face a slew of additional responsibilities ‘- loan repayment, housing, utilities, transportation costs and food expenses ‘- all on an entry-level income or , for those who do not find a job right away, no income at all.
‘It’s very expensive,’ said Serrano Legrand, a middler finance major. ‘I have to stay on top. I had to pay up front money. It sucks in that way.’
Senior Laura Biszko, a mechanical engineering and technology major, admitted to apathy towards her insurance.
‘I don’t know much about health insurance,’ she said. ‘My dad takes care of everything.’
Soon-to-be college graduates may not need to worry endlessly, as healthcare reform is a hot topic in this political cycle. As one of his first accomplishments in office, President Barack Obama signed a bill to improve health coverage for children. It is a step in the direction of his campaign promise to bring healthcare coverage to all Americans.
State Representative Bill Bowles recently placed his signature and support behind House bills that positively affect healthcare coverage in Massachusetts. The bills support an increase in dental and mental health coverage as well as an increase in the nursing staff. A shift in universal coverage through the United States may be a plausible solution.
‘I think it’d be a difficult move,’ Frost said. ‘We need to focus on how to do it right. It could be easily screwed up, but it is definitely possible to do it correctly.’

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