By Samantha McCarville
It used to drive me crazy when people asked me what I thought I’d be doing in ten years. How in the world was I supposed to know? I just wanted to get through today and let the future worry about itself.

Of course, I found out that planning for tomorrow is essential. It’s easy to think about today, but tomorrow is much less certain. By laying the proper foundation, the future doesn’t seem so scary.

For instance, if I do all of my reading assignments, then I have to spend less time preparing for my exams. I’ll also probably do better on them. Professors are always telling students about that, but it’s easy not to listen. Some days it seems there are a million things I need to get done, and doing reading assignments is usually last on the list.

Doing assignments helps prepare for a problem in a few weeks–not something too far into the future. However, deciding which college to attend and what to study has consequences years in the future, which makes it scarier and more frustrating. Perhaps it’s so stressful because it’s hard for most people to imagine what exactly they want to do for the rest of their lives. But planning now can help people get ahead in the future.

Just deciding to go to college is a big step. We’re all sacrificing something now in order to get something better in the future; a type of investment in ourselves.
This year, Congress has had to start planning for the future by dealing with health care reform. Right now, America has serious problems with health insurance and on November 7th, the House took a step towards trying to solve this problem by passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The passing of this bill does not guarantee health care reform; a Senate bill still needs to pass, and then the two bills need to be meshed into one.

According to information on the House of Representatives website, the House bill allows for the creation of a Health Insurance Exchange, which is a more transparent and enlarged marketplace for purchasing health insurance. The Insurance Exchange will allow for more and easier regulation of health insurance to make sure that people are treated fairly by these companies.

The bill also calls for essential benefits to be covered by health insurance companies. An independent advisory committee chaired by the Surgeon General would decide upon these benefits. These benefits would include preventative care, mental health services, and dental care and vision (for children). As long as states comply with federal standards, they would be allowed to opt out of the Insurance Exchange.

Most importantly, the House bill contains provisions for a public option: basicall,y insurance provided by the government. People will be able to keep their existing insurance providers if they choose, and if the companies comply with government standards. The public option is just that: an option. It will be just like other types of health insurance, providing the same benefits. The public option will also be self-sufficient, as it will be paid for by its premiums.

The public option is important because it provides an alternative option for people who might lose their jobs. It will help keep costs low by providing more competition for private insurance companies.

Some Americans argue that this reform is a bad move. They argue that it’s too costly or that it’s a government plot to control every aspect of American life. This is just silly. Really, it’s about working towards a better future. Health care reform may seem scary because it’s so big and we aren’t really sure what will happen in the future.

We all want America to be a better place in 20 years, so we’re going to have to start preparing for it. That means fixing the problems we have, including health care. Yes, the future is uncertain. But the choices we make now can make for smooth sailing later on. (Nov. 12)