By: Emily Beaver

Members of Congress have been arguing about health care reform for months, but now the pressure is really on.

What's happening with reform

The Senate passed its health care reform bill on Christmas Eve and the House of Representatives passed its own bill in October. Now, leaders from the House and the Senate are scrambling to combine the two different bills into one health care reform bill -- which both the House and Senate will have to vote on again.

So what's the rush? Congress can pass health care reform at any time, but Democrats are concerned about an election happening in Massachusetts today. Voters will elect a new senator to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Democrat who died in August 2009. If a Republican wins the election, Democrats will no longer have 60 votes in the Senate -- which Senate Democrats need to pass the bill. (And members of Congress need to address other issues, like jobs and the economy.)

 

The details

Before a health care reform bill can be passed into law, both the House and Senate will have have to work out the differences between their health bills. The bills differ on issues like how much money someone can earn and still qualify to get insured through the government's Medicaid program, whether insurance plans sold in a health insurance exchange should cover the cost of abortion, and how much money the government will reimburse individuals who buy insurance through an exchange. President Obama is working with members of Congress to work out other details about health reform, like taxing expensive or "Cadillac" health insurances plans to cover costs of reform.

Why does it matter?

Health care reform could make a big difference for young people. Young adults ages 19-29 are less likely to have health insurance than any other age group, because many aren't offered health insurance at work or get dropped from their parents' insurance plans.

If reform is passed, everyone would be required to get health insurance. Health reform would let young people stay insured under their parents' health plans longer. Young people who don't get insurance through work or a parent would be able to get insured the Medicaid program, a government-run health insurance program, or buy their own insurance from an exchange.

In today's economy, many young adults are struggling to find jobs -- let alone jobs that offer health insurance. Young people can purchase health insurance from the individual market, but individual insurance isn't always affordable or available to people with pre-existing health conditions. If Congress doesn't pass health care reform, it's likely that young people will have few options for affordable health insurance.

Previously:

• Ten Health Care Terms You Need to Know
• Ten More Health Care Terms You Need to Know
• Sweeping Health Care Overhaul Passes the House

 

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