Students at the University of Maryland began to form a line outside the Comcast Center shortly after 4:30 a.m. to secure a seat at President Barack Obama’s rally on health care. Reminiscent of President Obama’s rousing campaign assemblies, the crowd held signs that read “Yes We Care” and “Graduated & Un-Insured” to promote their feelings on health care reform. Around 11:30 a.m., President Obama took the stage and emphasized the importance of universal health care.
“I’m sure that some of you wondered why this college required that all new students have health insurance this semester,” President Obama said. “Well, here’s why. Every day, one in three adults — one in three young adults who don’t have health insurance, lives one accident or one illness away from bankruptcy. Nearly half of these young people have trouble paying their medical bills. Nearly 40 percent are in debt because of them. I mean, think about adding the debt you already have for college — on top of that, another $10,000 or $20,000 or $30,000 or $50,000 worth of debt because you get sick.”
President Obama’s message hit home for many students, including 20-year-old junior Rachel Peck. Peck, who introduced the president, spoke about her battle with thyroid cancer and the trouble that she may face with obtaining health insurance once she graduates. President Obama assured that Peck, and others who suffer from health ailments, will continue to have insurance with the revised health care plan.
“Under this plan, it will also be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition,” President Obama said. “You just heard Rachel’s story. She’s OK right now, she’s thriving. But when she goes into the workforce and their insurance companies start asking, well, have you been sick before, right now she’d have trouble getting insurance. Under the bill that we sign, she will still be able to get coverage.
“When I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick, water it down when you need it the most. They’ll no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given lifetime or a given year. We’ll place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. In the United States, nobody should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care — because there’s no reason we shouldn’t be catching treatable illnesses, treatable diseases, before they get worse. That makes sense. That saves money and it saves lives.” –amir shaw
