By Alex Ripepi
Senior Staff Writer

You’re broke, you have the flu, it’s been 10 days since you’ve been able to breathe through your nose and your body is aching all over. You want to go to the doctor but can’t because you are uninsured and have no money as a full time college student. What do you do? Right now, if this is you, you can do nothing or you can pay a doctor for a visit. With that visit is a potentially hefty bill of at least $100, plus the cost of medications.The bright side to this is thatyou can change all this with ObamaCare starting in January 2014.

Beginning now until March 2014, according to obamacarefacts.com, those without insurance may shop around on what is being called the Health Insurance Marketplace. It is a website where one can compare rates and what is being offered through each insurance company based on what state a person lives in. If a person already has insurance they are unaffected by the passing of the Affordable Care Act.

ObamaCare may be a good thing immediately for those who don’t’ have coverage. It will be especially helpful fir those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Nina Ali, senior student, said, “I am a type one diabetic, so it is very difficult for me to afford my med supplies and live everyday. Having no health insurance is really bad and even harder for those like me who just cannot afford the highly outrageous cost (of insurance), even if not paying for it may be disastrous for our health.”

Ali needs her medications on a daily basis and with this new ObamaCare she will, for the first time since the age of 18, be able to afford the care she needs to control her illness.

Having a disease or previous health issue has made it difficult for others to receive benefits and get help without insurance in the past. As Wendy Alberto, senior criminal justice major, said, “Everyone should have health care available to them. Diseases do not discriminate and it is unfortunate that some people, especially for their children, cannot seek the medical attention they need due to their economic situation.”

I would have to agree on this one, because if a parent cannot afford insurance and their child needs medical attention they should be offered the same help as a child whose parent who can afford insurance. Just because the parent cannot afford the insurance does not mean the child should suffer because of it.

As of right now, according to obamacarefacts.com, The Affordable Care Act will save the country money. Only in a few years will we really know the answer to that.

Stephanie Valdivia, junior psychology major, also brought up a valid point saying that, “It’s important for people to have health insurance, however, our economy is not at its best and I feel that ObamaCare will make it worse.” Only the dollar signs in the near future will speak the truth.

For now, if you find yourself without insurance and you need some direction, check out the website www.coveredca.com for more information.