University of Iowa officials helped dispel confusion and myths on Wednesday night about how recently passed health-care reform will affect employees and students.
The health-insurance plans of UI faculty and staff will begin to cover their adult children through the end of the calendar year that they turn 26, effective July 1, speakers at the panel discussion told the roughly 30 people in attendance at the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St.
“It’s a good positive for our employees who have these adult children who do not have health insurance,” said Richard Saunders, an assistant vice president for UI Human Resources. “A lot of insurance will end when the students graduate, and this way they can continue coverage through the end of the year when they turn 26.”
The same coverage change will be made for UI students with children on Sept. 1, around the time school starts, and for merit staff and employees on Jan. 1, 2011.
Peter Damiano, the director of UI Public Policy Center and principal speaker of the panel, discussed the logistics of the plan and cleared up several common myths about it. For instance, he said the reform is a “right-of-center approach” rather than an extremely liberal one, noting it is similar to former proposals made by Richard Nixon, Robert Dole, and Mitt Romney.
“Hopefully, people will leave with a better understanding,” he added.
Iowa City pediatrician George Murphy also spoke Wednesday night, focusing on how the plan is going to help children. Specifically, he noted foster children will get well-deserved benefits.
“It gives them a bridge to have the same coverage other children will have once they turn 18,” he said.
Saunders said these changes are positive because young people often don’t understand how important health insurance is.
“You never know what could happen,” he said. “You never know when an injury or disease could pop up.”
Karrey Smith, a departmental secretary for health management and policy, said she thinks the university is doing a good job of moving forward by putting the plan into effect this year rather than waiting until it becomes mandated in 2011.
“By doing it early, it’s ahead of the game and being more progressive,” she said. “It’s good [officials are] going to go ahead and change it.”
She noted how the poor economy is a good reason for the change to occur now.
“It’s great that it is going into effect because, especially in this economy, so many people are having difficulty finding jobs,” she said. “Some are still living with their parents and obviously need insurance.”
This quick change is not something that only the UI is doing. Several big employers nationwide are quickly putting the reform into effect, along with other universities, said Saunders, who could not immediately give examples.
Damiano said the plan will take a long time to fully understand.
“It will take years to literally figure it out,” he said.