Students may pay more in the future for University health insurance programs as a consequence of the Affordable Care Act, said W.P. Carey School of Business Professor Marjorie Baldwin.
ASU provides health insurance to each of its employees and offers University health insurance to students for purchase, and Baldwin said the cost of these programs may go up as the healthcare law allows more people to seek medical care.
"It might not happen right away, but you might pay higher fees for health insurance coverage," she said. "As demand increases, the costs go up and as the costs go up, health insurers have to charge more for their premiums."
ASU spokeswoman Julie Newberg said the University has partnered with NAU and UA to ensure aspects of the Affordable Care Act are implemented through Aetna, the student insurance vendor sponsored by the Arizona Board of Regents. This will decrease rates for this year, though future costs to students are unclear.
"It was reassuring even before the decision was made that the insurance companies had stated they would try to keep many of the positive aspects of the Affordable Care Act that had already been implemented intact," Newberg said in a statement.
ASU Health Services Director Allan Markus said some aspects of the Affordable Care Act go into effect in 2014, but the ABOR Insurance Advisory Group, made up of students and staff from each of the three health centers, implemented the changes as part of student health plans this year. They include:
- preventive care at no out-of-pocket cost.
- elimination of pre-existing condition waiting periods from the insurance plan.
- elimination of a lifetime dollar limit.
- implementing a $2 million dollar annual limit.
- coverage for such conditions as smoking cessation and obesity treatment.
She said even the young and healthy should have insurance.
"The individual mandate is a good thing for people who are young," she said. "If a young person becomes ill, those bills can hang over their head for a long time."
Kristin Middleton, Tempe College Republicans president and political science senior, said if the law is not repealed its costs will force taxes to increase, not just hurting young people.
"I'm a little disappointed, but hopefully things change," Middleton said.
Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative member of the court, was the surprise swing vote in the 5-4 decision.
"I thought he would be more conservative, and I think that shocked everyone," Middleton said.
Journalism senior Andres Cano, chief of staff to Undergraduate Student Government Downtown president Joseph Grossman, said a healthcare law that prevents people from going bankrupt to pay for medical bills will provide more benefits than costs. He said the court's decision was a victory for Democrats and Americans.
"If we want to have a healthy America, the mandate is required," Cano said.
Reach the reporter at ymgonzal@asu.edu
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