nn

The uninsured.

Rising health care costs.

Prescription medications.

On Jan. 20, President-elect Barack Obama will begin working toward numerous changes, including vast reforms to the health care system. Of the many issues Obama is going to tackle in office, health care ranked third most important behind the economy and terrorism/national security, according to a CBS News and New York Times poll last month.

Obama’s health care plan, and how fast it’s implemented, has implications for everyone, including students. He aims to allow people up to age 25 to remain on their parents’ insurance, according to Obama’s Web site.

“It’s going to be real difficult to tell what will happen,” said Brent Bowditch, assistant vice president for human resources at MSU.

People 18 or 19 years old often represent the cut-off age for young adults who could be covered under their parents’ insurance, according to ConsumerAffairs.com. However, many companies or employers allow young people enrolled in college to remain on their parents’ plans.

Although the majority of MSU students aren’t required by the university to be insured, international, medical and veterinary students are required to be, said Alice Smith, a communications manager in the MSU Human Resources Benefits office.

Students who don’t have insurance through their parents can get it through MSU.

MSU’s student insurance is provided through Aetna Student Health. The insurance covers students nationwide, as well as when they go abroad, said Matt Wiggin, an Aetna spokesman.

“It’s important to keep students healthy so that they can focus on their studies and safeguard them from illnesses,” Wiggin said.

Other health care reforms Obama wants to implement include switching to electronic medical records to increase efficiency and save money on paper processing, improving emphasis on disease prevention and making the pharmaceutical and insurance companies more competitive to lower prices.

“I think it’s realistic enough. He has a reasonable chance of accomplishing something significant, but it will take time,” said Leonard Fleck, a professor of philosophy and medical ethics.

Fleck said predicting how fast these changes will occur is difficult, especially with the struggling economy.

“(Obama) may find that the economy is likely to worsen through 2009,” Fleck said.

“If that happens, then the particular consequence is that many individuals will lose their jobs and insurance, which may lead to health care reform.”