The Affordable Care Act Doesn’t Provide for All

I’ve been following the Affordable Care Act since it was passed earlier this year. Because I was getting ready to graduate college, I was particuarly excited to hear that I could remain on my parent’s health insurance until I was 26, or until I found a job that provided health insurance.

And then I found out that Tricare wasn’t going to change under the Affordable Care Act. Shortly after graduating, I called to check and make sure this was still the case only to find I’d been dropped from coverage immediately after graduating.

I think what’s more startling than being suddenly dropped from a reliable health care plan is that there were no provisions made for adult children under the age of 26 who would be joining the other college graduates whose parents aren’t soldiers. Worse than that, there is very little information available online regarding what is being done to extend the same protection to Tricare families that civilian families enjoy.

To put the icing on the cake, the new health care website, HealthCare.gov, doesn’t say anything about dependents except the reminder that Tricare isn’t changing. Nor does HealtCare.gov offer a contact form to ask questions regardin the new Act and any possible changes regarding Tricare and dependent coverage. How convenient.

It seems to me that adult children of soldiers are being completely ignored by the new legislation. It’s also ironic that President Obama literally just tweeted: “Military families came together at the White House to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and a concert. Watch: http://j.mp/8Xqw1S.” Yet it seems that nothing is being done to give military families the same health care provisions as the general public.

This doesn’t seem fair to me. And yes, I’ll admit I’m only really talking about this because my experience. But what about my brother and sister? What about the thousands of other soldier’s children who will graduate in the next year or so into a recession with ridiculously high health care costs. Maybe I’m missing something.

This is from Tricare’s website:

“Many beneficiaries with dependent children are very interested on how the Act will impact their children age 26 and younger. Our current age limits – 21, or age 23, if the dependent is in a full-time school program – are set by statute, so separate legislation would be required to change them. If changes are made to the statues governing TRICARE, then, like any other legislative initiative, time will be required for us to implement the changes. Until that time, the benefit remains unaffected by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” (Source)

All in all, the startling lack of attention and conversation regarding Tricare and the Affordable Care Act is upsetting. I understand that Tricare is a different piece of legislation, but the fact that it was apparently left out of the Affordable Care Act bothers me. It’s like the government is okay saving face by honoring military families, but when it comes to what really matters, the government can’t deliver.

UPDATE: After a bit more searching I found this:

Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., on Thursday introduced a bill that would extend TRICARE health coverage to dependent children from age 23 to age 26. TRICARE is the Defense Department’s health program for military families, retirees and their families.

The TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act (H.R. 4923), would require Defense to provide a key benefit created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act President Obama signed into law on Tuesday. That law allows parents to keep dependent children on family health insurance plans up to age 26.

TRICARE is governed by Title 10 of the U.S. Code and is not affected by the new health care law. H.R. 4923 would amend Title 10 to reflect the new requirement, which would take effect Oct. 1.

The bill also would authorize Defense to charge beneficiaries a premium for the additional coverage, to be determined based on “an appropriate actuarial basis.”

“Allowing parents to provide health coverage to their dependent adult children is just one of the many small things we can do to show our military families how much we appreciate them and honor their service to our country,” Heinrich said in a statement.

The bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday. (Source)

However, I read elsewhere that this probably won’t take effect or even be considered for at least a year. How does that help me and the hundreds (thousands?) of adult children of soldiers who recently graduated?

2010
07/06
CATEGORY
Get to Know Me
Life and All Its Mysteries
The Future Freaks Me Out
2 comments

A Grad’s Reflections

I’ve been thinking about this post all day, since before my capstone group gave our client presentation. I graduate from college in a little more than a week, and I’m really excited and really introspective. Today, I’ve been thinking about the people who made the biggest impression on me, and the list is long. I want to highlight some of the people who have really impacted my growth over this year, because I think they’ve done a lot to help me become someone more like the person I’ve always wanted to be.

Jeanette Fotis, Tyler Page and Matt Arnold
I’d only been a desk attendant for a semester when I was invited to apply to be desk supervisor for the 2009-2010 school year. I did it because I wanted a challenge, because I wanted to step out of my shell and because I was flattered at being asked to do so. Right before I came back to school, I questioned whether or not I wanted to be the DS, though I knew I had no choice and couldn’t back out at the last minute. That’s just not what I do.

These three people had a profound impact on my self esteem, because they were there to encourage me and help me when I needed it the most. I knew I could depend on them, and in turn they showed me what it’s like to be a good supervisor and leader. I’ve learned a lot about working with other people through Jeanette, Tyler and Matt, on various levels and in different styles. I think that being the DS was one of the best decisions I could have made, because it’s really helped my confidence to grow.

At the same time, I learned that I’m actually not bad at supervising and administrative tasks. I mean, I was named Desk Supervisor of the Year. I never set out to win awards, as cliche as that sounds, but this just shows me that I can do things, that I’m not lame and worthless as I sometimes see myself. Overall, I’ve come to admire Jeanette, Tyler and Matt for all they do for Residential Life, and for how much effort they put into getting to know not only me, but the other Desk Supervisors and Desk Attendants.

Lisa Fischer
I decided to take Strategic Design and Visuals II because I needed another Journalism elective, and because I wanted to see if I could learn anything new as a follow up to D&V I. At first, things started to go the same way as the prerequisite class, but Lisa managed to turn it around. Each week, she impressed me with her knowledge of not only advertising, but publishing and Adobe’s program. I felt comfortable enough with Lisa to show her a little of myself and how I get so stressed and don’t believe in myself all the time, and she had the compassion and patience to encourage me to continue.

I enjoyed having Lisa as an instructor that I purposely chose her for my capstone lab, despite her fair warnings that she would push us even harder than she had in D&V II. I’m never one to back down from a challenge, and I’ve come to think of Lisa as a mentor, so I wasn’t worried. I like that she’s willing to push us hard enough, but still able to give us the support we need so we don’t just fall apart. I find it refreshing and I think it won the whole class over; not one person in our little lab that I talked to said they didn’t like Lisa.

Renata Maiorino
When I registered for Women’s Self Defense this semester, I did it partly because my dad had been bothering me about it, and partly because I wanted to take a class for myself. I never expected to face the challanges that Renata laid out for us. Not only did I learn how to defend myself in a variety of situations, but I also learned that I am capable of things I never imagined I could do. I realized that I have a lot of potential, and that if I just believe in myself, I can unlock it.

I opened the course book and thought about dropping the course when I saw we’d have to complete a 40-minute continuous jog. But when I went to that first class and met Renata, I knew that I had to stick with it. There’s something about her charisma and passion that made me want to do this not only for myself, but for her. I set a goal of visiting the gym at least 3 times per week, and while I didn’t always make it, I did go at least once a week until Spring Break. And then came the shocker: I ran two miles on the first Tuesday back from Spring Break, after having not run the entire week before.

Now, some of you might not think this is a big deal, and some of you are tired of this story, but before that I had never run a continuous mile, let alone two miles. Not even in high school. I felt good, so the next week I went in and told myself that I could do the 40-minute jog… And I did it. I know now that if I could do that, when I never believed I could, that I can accomplish anything. I think that’s why Renata had us do that jog; not only did we do it for fitness, but to prove that we can. At least that’s what I took away from.

Renata announced to our class that we would be her last in many decades of teaching. We were all heartbroken, of course, but Renata’s explanation will probably stick with me for a long time. She said that she feels better than she’s ever felt, and she wants to be able to enjoy her retirement as opposed to retiring when she’s older and can’t really do everything she wants to do. Her outlook on life is so inspiring to me, because it’s positive and yet realistic. What I learned most is that if you don’t have joy, you have nothing.

Renata inspired me to live my life how I want to life it, but to also appreciate those I love and those who’ve helped me.

So now, as I sit here with one final and a bunch of work hours to go before graduation, I’m thinking about my future and my past. I’ve come so far from the immature little freshman to the woman I am now, and I couldn’t be happier. What I’m most excited for is my future. I realized that I’ve spent the past 17 or so years in school, working for this moment. I also realized that I have the rest of my life ahead of me to build a career, and so I need to do what makes me happy.

That means following my heart. All of the people I wrote about here have inspired me and given me the skills I need to be confident in my work, talent and abilities, and I know that because of them I can enjoy a future of my choosing. I have the confidence to strike out on my own.

Next Saturday, I will step from one stage of my life and into another. I have to say that I’m excited, anxious and terrified all at once, just like I was when I went to middle school, high school, college. And I know that like all of those transitions, I came out okay. What’s one more change?

I’m going to wrap up by saying THANK YOU to everyone who touched my life in some way during my time here. I wouldn’t be who I am without you.

Peace,
Lauren

2010
05/06
CATEGORY
Get to Know Me
Life and All Its Mysteries
1 comment

Self Improvement

I’ve decided that for the next month, I’m going to work hard to sketch and write about what I’m working on before I sit down and work on the computer. I also want to start taking my camera, and now that the weather is nicer, and just start taking pictures of things I like or see while I’m out and about. I know this is going to be hard because I also have a massive capstone project looming over me, but I think in the end it’ll help me out with that project, too. Maybe I’ll save the camera bits for the summer, when I have more free time and less obligations.

Which, of course, is a lie, because I’ll have a job or an internship and I’ll be working. But I won’t be constrained by the 24/7 school work and I’ll be able to go where I want because I’ll actually have a car. I feel like summer is a time for freedom and inspiration, so I’m really looking forward to May. I’m also graduating in May, which also makes it especially appealing.

This is a rambling post, but sometimes I just need to ramble.

Peace,
Lauren

2010
03/05
CATEGORY
Get to Know Me
Life and All Its Mysteries
The Future Freaks Me Out
1 comment

Monday Update

On Saturday I went on a hyper-productive spree and totally revamped my portfolio and resume design and applied for nine internships. For one day’s work, I think that’s pretty impressive. It’s now Monday morning and I’ve already heard back from two companies, one wanting to possibly meet and the other confirming receipt of my application.

To be honest, I’m more nervous about the responses than I am about sending my applications. I’m excited because I think my portfolio is strong, and I got some really great feedback from the career fair. And I’m not even that nervous about getting rejected, because I can understand handle that. It’s the positive responses that make me the most nervous! I’m anxious to see who wants to even talk to me, let alone who might consider hiring me as an intern for the summer, or even as an employee later on. I’m afraid that I won’t know how to respond, or if I get a number of offers, that I’ll have trouble choosing one, or even knowing if it’s the right one for me.

I’ve gone this whole time thinking my portfolio was lukewarm, generic, and boring. But the career fair gave me a little boost because it was surprisingly so well received. I know this won’t always be the case; there will always be someone better than me, with more clever designs or better execution. Despite all of that, I’m finding the confidence I need to show others that I stand behind my work, and even if they don’t think it’s great, I do, and I know my own abilities. Not to mention I’m always working hard to improve my technique and skills. I’ve been reading a lot more design blogs lately and learning a lot about both what’s trendy and the basics of successful design.

I suppose this could turn into a “5 Good Things,” but I’m in a more narrative mood this morning. I also created a logo design for a custom request on Etsy.com, completely on whim. The requester liked the concepts I sent them and asked me not only to edit one, but if they could have both! I replied that of course they can have both, because it’s a student environmental group and because I need the experience. It would be nice to say that I got paid for designing a logo, and my first official logo design at that. I’ll make a page in my portfolio for logos and other graphics. I hope to supplement my income in the future by doing custom work, whether through freelance or Etsy.

All in all, my future is looking fantastically bright, despite the challenges I have to overcome on the way there. Even capstone isn’t going too bad; we’re well on our way through primary research, have a great plan for our book, and get to meet Kim this week. It’s going to be a good week.

Now, if only graduation weren’t so far off!

Peace,
Lauren

2010
03/01
CATEGORY
The Future Freaks Me Out
1 comment

(Belated) Five Good Things

I wanted to do these every Sunday, but I’ve slacked off, so here we go! These are going to be for the last few week most likely, because I have a horrible memory.

1. My capstone group, Socialight, met with Kim, or wonderful client. He filled us in on more details of his vision for ArtyApt and approved our research plan. We’re elbows-deep in research and our survey is doing fairly well. 52 people have taken it so far. (Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/bRcSvH).

2. My most viewed page is my “Not For Sale Campaign” portfolio page, which is one of my favorite series of ads. I’m considering contacting the Not for Sale Campaign and showing them, but they couldn’t use them because I don’t have full rights to the images. I don’t want to get in trouble!

3. I got some great deals at Old Navy and Aerie. I got a new pair of fabulous jeans ($19), two tank tops ($12), and a tee shirt ($5) for $36 at Old Navy, and a comfy, soft hoodie for $20 at Aerie. To me, that’s a good deal.

4. I saw the Vagina Monolgues for the second time, where I also saw my roommate from last year perform. She did a great job and looked lovely, as always!

5. I made a new friend today. We had already talked quite a bit in class, but she bought me coffee today and we chatted about our dogs and our concerns about having bachelor degrees and ending up in dead-end jobs (like Petco!). We’re now Facebook friends, so it’s official!

That’s it for today. I’m working on my portfolio design so I can send it off to some internships. Here’s hoping for a good return!

Peace,
Lauren

2010
02/25
CATEGORY
Get to Know Me
Life and All Its Mysteries
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Socialight Survey

For anyone who stumbles across this blog, my senior capstone group created a survey about apartment decorating. If you have a couple minutes, check it out here and help us out with your feedback!

Peace,
Lauren

2010
02/22
CATEGORY
Life and All Its Mysteries
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Falling Behind

It’s that time of the semester where I start to feel overwhelmed with everything I have to do. I haven’t worked at all at one of my jobs this week because I’ve been busy doing everything else I need to do. I guess it’s a good thing I can set my own hours, though it’s also bad because I’m not making money if I’m not working.

I can’t help but feel like we’ve fallen behind on our capstone project. The other teams all seem like they’re flying past us, and we’re just sitting here twidling our thumbs. I’ve been doing research on my own like we all agreed to, but I only just set up some Google spreadsheets to keep track of things. It’s like we were slow out of the gate, and now we’re fumbling miles behind.

And my eye is acting funny; I think it’s stressed. Maybe I’m stressed.

So I’m cracking the whip and getting things done my way, even if people don’t necesarily like it. I just have so much to do that piled up this week that I don’t know how I’ll get it done. I’m definitely going to revamp my resume for the career fair tomorrow, but I also needed to get some stuff printed and I don’t have time to do that. Okay, I lied, I have a little time, so I’ll go do that after dinner and before work. I don’t know if my resume will get touched, and it’s pretty crappy right now, but I guess so it goes.

This is going to sound bad, but I don’t think the career fair will really help me much tomorrow. I’m not going to live in any of the cities where the agencies are located, and I’m pretty sure I’m not memorable enough to stick in their minds for two years, which is when I’ll actually be able to live near the agencies represented at the career fair. I’m just not a memorable person, and I create boring crap. I don’t know what I want to do right now.

And I have a cold.

Well if this just isn’t a pit of whiny misery. I’m also hungry, so I’m going to dinner. Dorm living isn’t doing well for me right now, and I’m getting frustrated with pretty much everything.

Peace,
Lauren

2010
02/17
CATEGORY
Life and All Its Mysteries
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Fantastic Five Sunday

Five more good things:

1. My capstone team, Socialight, was the first to turn in our research plan, which to me shows our initiative to get things done. We’re still working out some kinks, but I think we’re on the right track.

2. I went home for the first time in about five weeks and got to spend time with my family and amazing boyfriend.

3. I’m applying for a few internships within the next few weeks. Here’s hoping I get at least one interview!

4. My self defense class group project went really well, and our teacher loved our presentation.

5. I worked out for 20 minutes today, which is a big accomplishment for me.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Sorry this is brief, I’m busy working on some last minute things before heading back to school tomorrow. Dentist in the morning, not looking forward to that!

Peace,
Lauren

(P.S. WordPress recognizes soft returns… Awesome!)

2010
02/14
CATEGORY
Life and All Its Mysteries
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Prometheus Stole the Fire

One of my little-known hobbies is creating photomanipulations of horses. I loved horses when I was little, and as I got older and stopped riding, I happened across horse games on the Internet. These games allowed players to upload customized images of their virtual horses, which is what led me to Photoshop horse art. I taught myself to use Photoshop over the past six or so years, so I know my way around the program like it’s nothing. I’m always intereste in trying new techniques and learning new things, some of which I implemented in my latest piece, “Prometheus Stole the Fire.”

Prometheus Stole the Fire

Prometheus Stole the Fire

I created this piece for “Light in the Darkness” contest on DeviantArt. We had the option of creating an image that depicted either “light in the darkness” or “darkness in the light,” so I brainstormed stories that I knew related to the theme. Some of the other entries are very well done, and a couple tell a story, but I wanted to go beyond just a simple subject on a background. I wanted to illustrate a story so that the image as a whole would have deeper meaning than just “light in the darkness.”

I remembered an illustration I saw when I was younger of a fox carrying a torch, running away from a mountain. That’s when I first read the story of Prometheus, who stole fire from Mt. Olympus and brought it to the humans. I knew that this was the story I wanted to illustrate, because it can have multiple meanings under the theme of the contest.

Because of the theme, I really wanted to play up the light vs. dark aspect, so I worked really hard to create a dramatic atomosphere without being too dark. Some of my friends on DeviantArt tend to make their works too dark when they’re going for a “moody” atmosphere; I wanted to keep the details but still tell the story.

To me, the story of Prometheus fits the theme of “Light in the Darkness” in two ways. Not only does Prometheus literally bring fire to the humans to light their dark nights and to cook their food, but it also serves to illuminate the future in a metaphorical sense. Though it’s just a myth, it represents how important fire was to ancient and early humans. I have to agree with historians that fire changed the course of history, because it impacted what food we eat and how we travel, just to name a few things. The Greeks clearly knew this when they explained how fire came to exist in human’s lives.

I chose to have Prometheus (in horse form) carrying the fire on a rope because I couldn’t find a torch to put in his mouth. In some versions of the myth, Prometheus carries the fire concealed in a cone of some sort, but obviously that wouldn’t fit my concept. This allowed me to create drama with the glow of the fire cast on the body of the horse as well as on the ground. The dark mist/clouds that seem to be following Prometheus signify Zeus’ anger at having been tricked. It also adds contrast to the hopeful light that seems to guide Prometheus. Additionally, the lightning on the mountain in the background represents Zeus’ anger, as does the gathering storm clouds. As Lord of the Sky, Zeus is well known as holding the lighning bolt as his weapon, which he might have sent out to chase the devious Prometheus.

I spent approximately 5 hours on this piece, working on as any little details as I could muster. I know some of you might look at it and think it looks great, but of course I can only see areas on which I can improve. My favorite part is the background and the fire ball, because they add so much to the atmosphere that I wanted. I’m also proud of the hand-painted mane and tail, because they look semi-realistic, which is a huge feat for me.

I used my Wacom Graphire4 tablet to draw the mane and tail, as well as to edit the horse and background. I drew in highlights, shadows, and details with my tablet pen so that I could have full control over how they looked. I’m much better in Photoshop using my tablet pen as opposed to my mouse, anyway. There’s nothing like having the sensitivity to pen pressure to help you draw out tendrils of hair, tiny flames, or sparkling highlights.

Overall, I’m very pleased with this piece and I think it’s one of my most successful to date. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on the image, which is wonderful, but I also wish I could have some critique. I know, for instance, that the mane and tail could use some work, and the shadows around the horse’s legs aren’t fantastic. The mist looks like a shadowy blob as opposed to anything recognizable, and lacks the depth I desired. These are all things that will improve as I continue to make photomanipulations. I’m really looking forward to what I can create in the future.

You can see “Prometheus Stole the Fire” in larger detail at my DeviantArt account, “DigitalVagrant.” The direct link, which includes stock photography and resource credit is here. Please note that this image is not for public use at this time, due to the restrictions of the stock resources I used as well as my personal preferences.

Thanks for looking and reading!

Peace,
Lauren

2010
02/07
CATEGORY
Get to Know Me
1 comment

Five Good Things

One of my teachers suggested that I write a list of five good things that happened the week before. I meant to do this yesterday, so I guess you’re getting it on Sunday for now!

1. Boyfriend and I were approved for our apartment for next fall. This has literally been all I’ve thought since Wednesday. Okay, that’s not really true because I can’t literally think about just one thing only. I am, however, deliriously excited. We’ve been together for four years, and this feels like the right next step. I have a feeling that the future will fall into a comfortable place, and I’m looking forward to Boyfriend being there every step of the way.

2. I went to Wal Mart and stocked up on things I forgot to get when I got back to school. This may seem mundane, but living on campus and not having a car means I’m limited in my travel. I feel very accomplished when I go to the store to buy things I need.

3. I only bought three things that weren’t on my list for Wal Mart: two new eyeshadow palettes and a package of Oreos. Needless to say, the Oreos are almost gone.

4. I designed some super-cool postcards and business cards for my self defense group project. I’ll post them soon when I update my portfolio to include my human trafficking campaign, because they tie directly into that.

5. I finished some of my papers for a couple of my classes early, so I don’t have to worry about them later and I can have more time to focus on ArtyApt.com.

To anyone who reads this: What’s one good thing that happened to you last week? I’d love to hear it!

Peace,
Lauren

2010
01/31
CATEGORY
Life and All Its Mysteries
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