Posted on 01/29/2016 at 11:12 PM
| Filed Under Blogs
The Affordable Care Act is in effect, but it doesn't work quite like other countries' health care systems. It's not really public option or single payer. It's ... complicated. America of late is divided on political issues, so who's calling him a communist or a hero kinda depends on what region of the nation you're in. Tons of demographic splits too.
As for health care for students, I was able to see the free clinic on campus as part of my tuition payment (I wouldn't call health care systems "free"). As an adjunct professor, they offered me a bunch of health care options to waive or accept, like dental, medical, childcare, etc. I waived them all, since they would not even credit as my insurance until April, and there's a chance I leave in May when the semester ends.
I don't know what kind of system Australia has, but keep in mind some states in the U.S. denied ACA ("Obamacare") funding, including my state of TX, which I think might be why I'm able to waive without paying a penalty tax. I don't know what provisions other states have taken, but I'm hoping my income level would not be required to pay into ACA. It would have meant barely having money for groceries in my case.