The healthcare reform bill, passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, increased coverage to an estimated 26 million uninsured Americans.  One of the stipulations of the bill was that coverage could not be denied to an adults children who are of college age or up to age 26.  This looks good if you’re a college student dependent on your parents, but someone ultimately has to foot the bill, and it looks like that will be the parents’ employer.

A study by employee benefits consulting firm Mercer determined this change will add up to 2% to the total cost to employers, in addition to the 8-10% added through other provisions of the bill.  Medium-to-large sized companies will be required to provide insurance for their employees, or face a $2000 annual fine per employee, while small businesses will get a tax credit if they provide health insurance.

So if you’re a college student, what are your options under the new reform plans?  Well, you can stay on your parents’ plan until you’re 26, which is pretty dope.  Otherwise you can get a full-time job, which will either provide you with a healthcare plan, or the money to purchase one on the healthcare exchanges that will exist starting in 2014.