With the passing of health care reform on March 23, 30 million Americans who were previously uninsured will now be given health care. After months of debate and increased pressure on President Barack Obama to deliver on his reform promises, the final health care bill, although not ideal, is a start to revamp the health care system in America.

The bill ensures that insurance companies will be more closely monitored and will no longer be able to refuse coverage due to pre-existing conditions. In addition, insurance companies will be required to cover preventative measures, such as vaccines, and young Americans will be able to stay on their parent’s health care plan until they are 26 years old.

For the first time in the history of America, unemployed and low income Americans will be able to get health care coverage. Hospitals will not be able to turn away patients without coverage, ensuring every American is given at least a minimum of health care benefits by the government.

Most Americans will not be affected by this legislation. Nearly 60 percent of Americans are covered by their employers. This will not change. Taxes will only be raised for those citizens who make more than $200,000 a year. Citizens will be required to have health insurance, just as drivers are required to have car insurance.

In his presidential acceptance speech, Obama said, ‘Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.’ And with the passing of the health care reform bill, Obama kept his promise.

The final version of the bill was undoubtedly a compromise. With such strong and unwavering resistance from the Republicans, compromises were necessary. The final bill does not include the government-run public option, there are complications about whether abortions will be covered, and illegal immigrants will not be given coverage.

The fact remains, however, that legislation has been passed, and at least we have a starting point. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation and signed the subsequent Civil War amendments, and yet social change for African Americans did not occur.

What the Emancipation Proclamation did do, though, was lay the groundwork for the future. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to create change in the 1960s due to the post-Civil War legislation that had been passed a century earlier. The health care bill enables progressive reforms to be made in the future, to further improve our health care system.

Before Obama signed the bill into law, universal health care was an impossible dream. Now with legislation on the books, the government can continue to improve on our health care system and work to create a more comprehensive coverage plan.

Nearly every democratic nation in the world has already adopted universal health care, and yet for some reason, America has resisted in following suit. Universal health care puts the onus on the government to protect its citizens and ensure safety.

The passing of health care reform is Obama’s greatest political victory to date. Americans who previously could not get insurance coverage or risked being turned away at a hospital are now protected by our government. The government has a duty to protect its citizens, and with the passing of health care reform, Obama has done just that.

Ben Klein is a junior political science and magazine journalism major. His column appears weekly, and he can be reached at btklein@syr.edu.

Published on October 20, 2010 at 12:00 pm