After the passage of the $940 billion health-care bill supported by President Barack Obama Sunday, the UW-Madison campus community continues to discuss the potential impacts the legislation will have on students.
The bill, which is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to increase coverage for more than 32 million Americans, was officially signed into law Tuesday.
While several UW-Madison student organizations celebrated the passage of the bill, others said they are disappointed and believe Congress can do better.
""[The bill] is not going to make anyone's health care better, it's just going to take away certain benefits from others while giving mediocre health care to most Americans,"" Crystal Lee, chair of UW-Madison College Republicans, said.
The health-care bill also included the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which is expected to invest about $50 billion into financial aid for students.
""It is going to impact a lot of students right now on campus, because it's providing better access to college. It's a great thing for everybody,"" Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group Chair Scott Thompson said.
According to Molly Rivera, chair of UW-Madison College Democrats, the current health-care system has limited the opportunity for students to receive coverage.
""In the past we haven't been able to get health coverage in our age group, and now if we don't get a job right away we can stay under our parent's health-insurance plan,"" she said.
Wisconsin recently established an emergency rule allowing residents to remain on their parent's insurance until the age of 27, but the federal bill extends similar benefits to all Americans until to the age of 26.
Lee said she expects the bill to negatively affect students in the future. She said once students graduate and begin finding jobs she expects them to see large tax increases and rationing of health care.
""As our generation continues to find jobs I think they will see exactly where their money is going and eventually see that it's completely unnecessary,"" Lee said.
According to Lee, health care is a major issue facing the United States today, but she said Obama and Congress did not find the best solution.
""I think everyone agrees, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, that health care is a problem and we need to reform it,"" she said. ""But Republicans chose to cycle in reform and work with insurance companies to get people health care rather than rationing the health care and spreading it to everyone within this one huge bill.""
