Bipartisan Group Wants to Exempt Student-Workers from Obamacare

Some lawmakers want to exempt
student-workers from provisions of the Affordable Care Act, out of
concern that universities will have to cut students’ work hours to
prevent them from qualifying for coverage.

I
highlighted this issue last week; it’s particularly vexing for
student-journalists, who often work more than 30 hours a week,
especially if they also hold additional campus jobs (like in the
bookstore or cafeteria).

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina) is proposing legislation to
address the problem. His bill, which has attracted support from
Republicans, Democrats, and even higher education administrators,
would
exempt student-workers from the employer mandate:

Under the ACA—commonly referred to as Obamacare— colleges and
universities will soon be required to provide health insurance for
student employees who work more than 30 hours a week for 3 months
or more, including summer breaks. Due to this new requirement, many
schools will be forced to cut student jobs.

“This provision in the ACA will be extremely costly to colleges
and universities, forcing many to cut student workers,” Rep.
Meadows said. “At a time when tuition costs are constantly rising
and student loan debt has hit a record high at $1.08 trillion,
on-campus employment opportunities are relied on by students across
the country to help pay the cost of their tuition.”

“This bill will prevent colleges and universities from having to
cut student work hours under the ACA and will allow students to
continue to support themselves and their educational aspirations,”
Meadows said.

That’s all well and good, though I can’t help but wonder: Isn’t
everyone else languishing under the effects of Obamacare entitled
to exemptions as well?

Hat tip: Inside Higher Ed