Federal health care reform passed last month will allow college students up to 26-years-old to be covered by their family’s insurance plan.

Dr. Manoutchehr Eskandari-Qajar, political science and economics director at City College, gave insight into some of the changes students can expect with the new bill.

He said it is a step forward that we are making progress toward making a better health care system in the United States. He noted, changes in health care reform will continue to be made.

Ora Starcher, 20, hopes to graduate from a four-year college at age 22, go to graduate school and get an internship. She’s currently covered under her parent’s health care plan.

“I don’t feel like it’s a super great achievement, but it’s helpful,” Starcher said.

She believes everyone has a right to health care, but feels an individual should be responsible for the payment of their own health care plan.

Before the passing of this bill students were only insured under their parent’s plan until age 23. “There’s a gap where young people are uninsured and this bill addresses that,” Eskandari-Qajar said. Now students can stay on their family plan until they are 26-years-old.

“Insurance will not depend on whether you have a job,” he said.

If a person graduates school before age 23, they will have some time to job hunt without the stress or worries about health coverage.

Starcher said this was a good benefit of the bill.

“I’m glad I’ll be covered no matter what,” she said.

New graduates who can only find part-time work will be able “to participate in pools, which means they can purchase insurance at an affordable rate,” Eskandari-Qajar said. Once they have insurance they can keep it, “it’s ‘portable’ as they call it.”

People will be able to carry their insurance plan to new jobs and states, without worrying about losing it, he noted.

The option of insurance pools makes “purchasing power stronger and more affordable,” Eskandari-Qajar said. When millions of people have a choice, “prices come down.”

House Majority Whip James Clyburn said the passing of the heath care bill is the “Civil Rights Act of the 21st century.” Eskandari-Qajar said he could understand why Clyburn said that because 32 million more people will have the option of health care, but he felt Clyburn’s statement was a bit “hyperbole.”

Eskandari-Qajar said the passing of the health care bill is “miraculous” given the limitations the American political system has sometimes.

“This is the beginning, not the end in which we will build like Social Security and Medicare, that will continue to improve,” he said. “America is supposed to be leading the world, not playing catch up,” adding it was sad that America is so far behind the curve. The U.S. is 16th in the world for health care.

“This is the beginning, in change and direction,” Eskandari-Qajar said. “Where it ends up will be debated and discussed for a long, long time.”

This is not the last word, there will be laws that follow, either “restricting or expanding” the new bill.

Eskandari-Qajar said he’s glad the conversation of health care reform is occurring, but only time will tell where it takes the country.

-Danielle Kuykendall is a Journalism 101 student

Click for an interactive guide from The Washington Post on how the health care bill will affect you