Over 18 million citizens in the U.S. are expected to lose their insurance if the Affordable Care Act, popularly referred to as Obamacare, is repealed. It was one of the promises on which President Donald Trump rode to office and on Jan. 20, he issued an executive order to seek its prompt repeal. On his official website, Trump cites “runaway costs, websites that don’t work, greater rationing of care, higher premiums, less competition and fewer choices” as reasons for the repeal call and promises to implement several reforms for a better solution. His nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Tom Price, also strongly opposes it and has proposed plans to dismantle it, per his official government website.
Whether you agree with Obamacare or not, a great deal of people rely on it, many students at Blackburn included. Psychology major Tyla Ross uses it to visit the doctor and dentist. If the policy is repealed, she doubts she would be able to receive care from either. “I would have to take out a lot of loans if I needed something, so I’d probably just ignore the problem.” Ross, who also has asthma and works as a crew head in Campus Services, feared she would be unable to do her job properly if incapable of getting medication. But because Blackburn is such an open and community-driven campus, she said she believes it would not be hard to find assistance. “Anyone here would want to help,” said Ross.
Similarly, freshman chemistry major Abigail Gathard receives her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and birth control medications through the program. Freshman theater major Jacob Dunskis has asthma and can get his inhalers, nebulizers and treatments for free under the Affordable Care Act as they qualified for Medicaid.
Gathard said she would have to get an off-campus job to pay for what she needs and believed the worry of not knowing what she would do in a medical emergency would take a degenerating toll on her. Dunskis expressed concern about how often he would be able to afford a new inhaler. Because his asthma is so severe, there is no doubt it would hurt him. “I love Blackburn so much already, but if I have to choose my health over college, I will.” Ross, Gathard and Dunskis admitted they would be much more hesitant to go the doctor, as they would not be able to pay for it, and agreed it had the potential to negatively affect their classes, jobs and social lives at Blackburn.
The Affordable Care Act does have its share of problems and critics. Freshman business management major Dylan Newell called it “a socialist and un-American program that oversteps the government’s bounds.” When asked what he believed the best alternative solution was, he said all the rules and regulations that caused the high prices need to eventually be repealed, but for the time being suggested a voucher system. “Let the people pay what they want to pay,” he said.