Campus Reform has reported before on the unfortunate consequences Obamacare would have for young people.  A Cato Institute study found that health care "reform" will be carried on the backs of young voters. Obamacare could double the health insurance premiums of college-age people. 

Now, a new report from the Heritage Foundation confirms this conclusion:  Current proposals for so-called "reform" will hurt young people:

Many uninsured younger people have chosen to remain without insurance because they are in good health. Under the proposed Senate legislation, this group is prodded into insurance by a penalty-- reaching $750 or 2 percent of their income, whichever amount is larger, in 2016--for failing to buy insurance.  However, the CDA finds that many of those under 35 will choose to pay the penalty instead of buying insurance. This will likely result in higher insurance premiums than projected, and will leave many young people worse off by making them at least $750 poorer. [emphasis mine]

In other words, this report has found that should plans to further socialize the medical industry succeed, many young people will remain without insurance...but the government will get a hefty piece of their paychecks anyway.

Meanwhile, as the Cato report found, those who do choose to avoid the fine and purchase insurance will be forced to subsidize older insurance purchasers:

Younger workers who buy insurance in the non-group market will be disproportionately affected by the current health care bills. As the CBO notes, younger people will pay more to subsidize older people through the use of age-rating bands....the premiums of older, less healthy people will be subsidized by the premiums of younger, healthier people. [emphasis mine]

In short, universal health care is a bad deal for young people, no matter which option they take.  The Heritage report succinctly explains this catch-22 in its conclusion:

Younger workers will have less disposable income as they are forced to pay more for either insurance or a new tax under the mandate....[But if] younger workers do not join the risk pool, insurers will be forced to raise premiums to cover higher-benefit payouts to older people. The mandate will impose significant costs on younger individuals who will be forced to either forgo saving or consumption.

Doesn't sound like such a great plan, does it?

Fortunately, it's not yet set in stone and you can take action now to help keep this "reform" from happening.  Here are a few effective activism ideas:

• The Price is Wrong (for Universal Health Care) -- The left has been active in its mobilization of young people and college students to support universal health care mandated, paid for, or some combination thereof by the government.  But despite the propaganda, ObamaCare will not be beneficial to young adults.

• Health Care Wheel of Misfortune -- Make a street theater set with a game analogous to the classic show, “Wheel of Fortune.”  Ask passersby to participate by spinning the wheel to reveal the potential dangers of government-run healthcare.  Make each section of the wheel highlight a negative effect of national healthcare.

• Flyer Blitz -- Make flyers which explain the problems universal health care poses for young people -- use the data from the Heritage study to provide sound information for your flyers.  Have each group member post around campus or distribute a certain number of flyers at a given time – 100 or 200 each, for instance, depending on the number of people in your group.

If you need any assistance in planning your activism, be sure to contact the Campus Reform staff for whatever help you need!