One of the greatest issues in the current election is over the healthcare reform bill. Both parties have a clear opinion on it. Democrats have said they wish to keep the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) in place and let the law begin to take affect in 2013 and 2014. Republicans have said that they wish to repeal the bill as soon and as completely as possible. Why is this and what does the bill actually do?

First, it is important to know what the bill actually does and separate rhetoric from fact. It isn’t a socialist or government takeover of healthcare—far from it. The core feature of the ACA would be the requirement that all citizens have comprehensive health insurance that they must buy from the market. If a citizen cannot pay for insurance they will be given subsidies through the tax system so that they can afford insurance.

The reason for this individual mandate is two-fold. One, this is the closest way to get as many people as possible health insurance without making health insurance coverage universal. Two, it is necessary that a larger number of people have insurance to avoid premiums going up once those with pre-existing conditions gain coverage.

There are a myriad of other changes to the bill, but some of the more important one’s for college students are that insurance companies must now cover you under your parent’s insurance until you are 26, if you make less than $15,000 you can gain Medicaid, and larger companies will have to provide insurance to their employees. Another major change allows those with pre-existing conditions to be able to be covered in a high-risk pool, whereas many before would just be denied coverage due to the risks.

So what do Republicans oppose about the bill? That’s more difficult to tell because it depends on the Republican you talk to. Some say the whole bill is bad and unconstitutional (something the Supreme Court disagrees on), but most say that the individual mandate and new regulations on insurance companies are bad for private businesses.

Republicans have argued that forcing everyone to purchase something is too large of government growth, and that the government has no business in trying to force everyone to buy insurance.

Both sides have agreed that healthcare reform is needed, but the disagreement is centered over how large a role the federal government should have.

Editor’s Note: As the 2012 presidential elections get underway, we are soon to hear the two presidential candidates debate. The Sunflower will begin to investigate the candidates and the issues that are important in this election. We will run articles every week dealing with different issues and questions that are sent into us. We encourage you to send us your questions and continue the discussion on our website. Email questions to [email protected].