A billboard in the City of Industry advertises free STD screening. Matthew Medina / MOUNTAINEER
Affordable health insurance is, for many Californians, not a reality today. The New York Times in 2010 reported that 8.2 million – almost one in four – in the state were uninsured. Stagnant employment and financial issues continue to prevent Californians from seeking out health insurance plans. Combined with budget cuts on public universities, uninsured students face more difficulties ahead.
Kevin Le, 24, computer information systems major, has lived without insurance for nearly two years. Previously, he had insurance from working in a unionized position at a grocery store. However, he said that long hours and scheduling conflicts made it difficult to focus on school-related commitments, which is why he quit that job. After leaving the grocery store, the other jobs that Le could find were less lucrative positions in non-unionized industries, he said.
For him, health insurance was no longer a possibility. “It would be too drastic of a cut back … to get health insurance, as I am currently employed at a fast food joint,” he said. “A delivery driver doesn’t exactly make a large amount of money, especially since I only work about 8-12 hours a week average.”
“In my honest opinion, living without health insurance has not affected my daily life,” Le said. He still works, goes to school, and does leisure activities such as playing basketball as he did before.
In some cases, he said that he does think about the risks that are exacerbated by a lack of health insurance, like drinking too much alcohol during social occasions. “There’s not much I can do about it other than to live freely without too much worries,” he said.
Le said that one incident did make him think twice about no longer having health insurance. One night while walking home at about 7 p.m, two men armed with knives attempted to mug him. They wanted money, but they also assumed he was in a rival gang. Although he was able to escape harm, it was a chilling moment for him. “That night scarred me for life,” Le said.
Students who are insured have their own set of issues to contend with. “Within the past 10 months I have spent $1,599.85 on health insurance,” said David Murillo, 25, communications major. “It may not seem like a lot of money, but it is 13 percent of my yearly salary,” he added. “In this economy, every deflated dollar helps.”
“Being young and trying to deal with this gigantic bureaucratic monster known as healthcare is intimidating,” Murillo said. “It is no wonder that many 20-somethings decide to forego insurance entirely,” he added. “It involves learning a whole new vocabulary and organizing mountains of papers received by mail.”
“Paying for my own insurance has opened my eyes to our country’s health care dilemma,” Murillo said. “According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 44 percent of those uninsured are between the ages of 18 to 34.”
“The picture becomes even more dismal once other factors are included: having children, becoming unemployed, having a pre-existing condition, and emergency operations,” Murillo continued. “Our lives will consist of paperwork and forking over our hard earned money for deductibles and co-payments.”
Students without health insurance have some alternative options to seek care, such as Mt. SAC’s own Student Health Services facility. “I am aware of the health services center, but have yet to take the time to visit it,” Le said.
“I haven’t gotten to the point where I absolutely needed to see a doctor about my health,” he added. “The reason I looked into it was when I saw a health fee on my school bills and was wondering what it was for.”
That fee, which is currently $17 per semester, grants students free access to a variety of services, though most non-urgent services require scheduling an appointment. The center has not yet been affected by budget cuts, said Sandra Samples, director of student health services. “We operate solely on funds collected as student health fees at the beginning of each term,” she said.
“We see an average of about 80 to 100 students per day,” Samples said. She added that the center still has much to offer to those who do have insurance. “Historically, about 49 percent of our patient visits are those who have insurance,” she said. “They still come to us for health care because we are easy to access, and can see you the same day if needed.”
According to the Mt. SAC website, some of the services offered at the student health center include treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, personal counseling, and immunizations for commonly contracted diseases such as the flu.
“All patients are triaged by registered nurses to determine the urgency of their symptoms and assure that care is provided in a timely manner,” Samples said. “Our goal is to send patients home with an understanding of their condition, how to prevent it in the future, how to treat it, and the tools to treat it with.”
The center cannot handle all medical issues, but can still do things to help should a student have more serious problems, Samples said. “Life-changing diagnoses have been made as a result of using our services,” she said. “These have included brain tumors, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancers, and cases of HIV.”
“While no one wants to be at the receiving end of health problems such as these, it certainly is helpful long-term to be diagnosed as early as possible,” she said. “We cannot treat long-term ailments, therefore when patients need long term-care for chronic problems … we work diligently to connect patients to appropriate services within their community.”
Although the on-campus services are useful, Samples said, they are not a replacement for full health coverage. “I realize that health insurance is costly, but in my opinion it is a must,” she said. “One case of appendicitis or a broken bone can result in tens of thousands of dollars in expenses.”
For those who choose to remain uninsured, Samples said “make absolutely certain that you make sound lifestyle choices including your sexual, smoking, drinking, driving, social, and eating habits.”
“There are a number of relatively reasonable plans available for college students,” Samples said. “Some of these plans are listed on our Mt. SAC Student Health Services website.”
The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act will begin charging individuals who do not have health insurance in January 2014, according to HealthCare.gov. “Under the law, most individuals who can afford it will be required to obtain basic health insurance coverage or pay a fee to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured Americans.”
This provision helps motivate Le to seek insurance as soon as possible. “I do plan on getting health insurance as soon as I find a higher paying job,” he said.
“I have family who died due to cancer,” Le said, and that makes him more serious about getting insurance as soon as he can. “Getting checked up yearly on my health would definitely pay off at the end,” he said. “This makes me want to work harder to finish school and find a job in computer information systems.”
- Matthew Medina
News Editor
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