Guest post written by Cyndi Laurenti
Imagine being sick for weeks at a time, orfalling and injuring your knee so badly you can hardly walk even after days ofrest. Now imagine not being able to get checked out by a doctor because youdon't have health insurance and simply can't afford it otherwise.Unfortunately, this is an all too common problem for many people in America,and young people pursuing higher education from online undergraduate degrees to PhDs havebeen hit the hardest.
After graduating high school, many students choose to go on to college in orderto increase their odds of a better future. This is both beneficial to studentsand to the country, as these young adults will be the future workers andleaders of America. College isn't cheap, however, and most students have littlechoice but to take out loans or work multiple jobs just to afford their books.
Attending college full time while also working is nearly impossible in itself.Many students choose to work part time or to switch jobs during the summer whenthey can return home for awhile. Because of this sort of work situation,there's very limited room for the professional advancement that might includebenefits such as health insurance for working college students.
Without health insurance from jobs or parents, students can only pay for itthemselves. For most, this is simply unfeasible. These young adults areadjusting to living on their own, paying bills, car insurance, book costs, andmore, usually while only working for minimum wage.
After graduating high school, many students choose to go on to college in orderto increase their odds of a better future. This is both beneficial to studentsand to the country, as these young adults will be the future workers andleaders of America. College isn't cheap, however, and most students have littlechoice but to take out loans or work multiple jobs just to afford their books.
Attending college full time while also working is nearly impossible in itself.Many students choose to work part time or to switch jobs during the summer whenthey can return home for awhile. Because of this sort of work situation,there's very limited room for the professional advancement that might includebenefits such as health insurance for working college students.
Without health insurance from jobs or parents, students can only pay for itthemselves. For most, this is simply unfeasible. These young adults areadjusting to living on their own, paying bills, car insurance, book costs, andmore, usually while only working for minimum wage.
For working students, it can easily comedown to a decision between paying the electricity bill, paying for food, orgetting health insurance. While healthcare may be important, the cost ofinsurance easily gets pushed aside by more pressing priorities. Needless tosay, paying healthcare costs out of pocket is also likely to be out of thequestion, so students are likely to simply go without regular, non-emergencyhealthcare.
Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with good health. Of course, with thecost of medical care in this country so expensive, many ignore warning symptomsuntil emergency care is required. For example, let's say a college studentbecomes sick one day with a worse-than-usual cold. He doesn't have money tospare for a doctor visit, so decides not to go for a checkup but instead totough it out. Weeks go by and the initially harmless illness develops intopneumonia. One night, when the student is unable to breathe, an ambulance iscalled and he is rushed to the hospital. The medical bills are suddenly throughthe roof. The college student, already up to his neck in debt, simply has noway to pay for it.
These situations are all too common across the country. As of 2008, 1.7 millioncollege-age students were uninsured. Because of this, many people arebeginning to worry about the long-term effects of this demographic goingwithout healthcare.
Currently, Americans have an averagelife expectancy of 78 years. This is mostly due to the superb medical carewithin the country. Around 100 years ago, before doctors treated patients on aregular basis, the life expectancy was only 47. With young people unable to payfor routine medical care, many worry preventable illness will wear down thebody, causing the life expectancy of this generation to be the first todecrease in the last century.
It's simply impractical to expect college students to pay even more than theastronomically rising cost of education, which will saddle many with debt formost of their lives. These young adults are American's future. Unless somethingis changed to make healthcare more easily available to students, they'llunnecessarily face declining health over the coming decades. The high cost ofhealthcare combined with heavy student debt doesn't bode well for the nation'shealth as the new generation comes of age.
Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with good health. Of course, with thecost of medical care in this country so expensive, many ignore warning symptomsuntil emergency care is required. For example, let's say a college studentbecomes sick one day with a worse-than-usual cold. He doesn't have money tospare for a doctor visit, so decides not to go for a checkup but instead totough it out. Weeks go by and the initially harmless illness develops intopneumonia. One night, when the student is unable to breathe, an ambulance iscalled and he is rushed to the hospital. The medical bills are suddenly throughthe roof. The college student, already up to his neck in debt, simply has noway to pay for it.
These situations are all too common across the country. As of 2008, 1.7 millioncollege-age students were uninsured. Because of this, many people arebeginning to worry about the long-term effects of this demographic goingwithout healthcare.
Currently, Americans have an averagelife expectancy of 78 years. This is mostly due to the superb medical carewithin the country. Around 100 years ago, before doctors treated patients on aregular basis, the life expectancy was only 47. With young people unable to payfor routine medical care, many worry preventable illness will wear down thebody, causing the life expectancy of this generation to be the first todecrease in the last century.
It's simply impractical to expect college students to pay even more than theastronomically rising cost of education, which will saddle many with debt formost of their lives. These young adults are American's future. Unless somethingis changed to make healthcare more easily available to students, they'llunnecessarily face declining health over the coming decades. The high cost ofhealthcare combined with heavy student debt doesn't bode well for the nation'shealth as the new generation comes of age.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
While she figures out her next careermove, Cyndi Laurenti works as an online writer and editor. Her primaryinterests are education, technology, and how to combine them. She enjoys thetrees and beaches of the Pacific Northwest, and looking things up on otherpeople's iPhones.
