Group brings awareness to Affordable Care Act

Through the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, students at the University are spearheading efforts to make their peers aware of the changes happening in the health care system.

“Illinois PIRG is a statewide, non-partisan consumer advocacy group. We’ve worked on all different kinds of issues; we have worked on health care issues in the past, and we’re really excited to be working with the implementation of this,” said Rachel Binstock, campus organizer for the Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.

“Illinois PIRG is heading to campuses across the state to educate students about health care, so that’s pretty much what we’re doing at U of I,” said Michael King, senior in LAS and intern at the research group. “Right now we’re trying to educate students about the Affordable Care Act.”

Lauren Krone, sophomore in LAS and intern at the research group, said they are trying to get current information regarding the act to students to help prepare them for after graduation.

“It’s important for University of Illinois students because there are a lot of new options where young people have a lot more economically feasible ways of being covered since the Affordable Care Act went into effect,” said Krone

Illinois Public Interest Research Group hopes to make students aware of the changes and help them understand how they are affected by them.

“This educational campaign is statewide and we have a very ambitious goal of educating 60,000 students,” Binstock said. “We have a team of eight interns working here, and they each have a goal of educating a number of students throughout the semester.”

She said the research group exists in part to “stand up for the public against powerful interests” by lobbying, taking legal action and grassroots organizing.

“Traditionally young people have been widely uninsured or inadequately insured — some people would say it’s because they’re invincible and they don’t need it, but I think that’s actually a misnomer,” Binstock said.

She also said most young people between the ages of 18 and 35 are interested in health insurance, but they just can’t afford it.

“Our goal for the campaign is to get people aware about the Affordable Care Act and aware that there are resources for them when they graduate, when they fall off their parent’s health insurance plans and they don’t know where to go because they’ve never handled health insurance,” said Binstock.

Bryan can be reached at boccell2@dailyillini.com.

Young people’s rights under the Affordable Care Act

1. They have the right to stay on their parents’ family health insurance plan until they turn 26.2. They have the right to coverage that cannot be dropped when an accident makes their care expensive or an unexpected condition comes-up.

3. The right to an appeal if coverage for needed care is denied by the insurer.

4. The right to information about the quality and cost of insurance benefits.

5. The right to choose their own primary care doctor or pediatrician and to see an OB/GYN without a referral.

6. The right to emergency care when needed without huge out-of-network costs.

7. The right to a rebate if their insurer spends less than 80 percent of premium dollars on care.

8. The right to free preventive care.

9. The right to get covered, even if there is a pre-existing health condition.

Source: Illinois PIRG Education Fund