North Carolina Students Worried About the Cost of Some Healthcare Reforms

You've seen on television the shouting and angry protesting at town hall meetings across America. Most, if not all, are about the proposed healthcare reforms that are being considered in Congress.

At the University of North Carolina, the issue is a hot topic, too. And the students concerned about a particular part of the changes—one that they say will raise the costs of generic drugs—are making sure their voices are heard, the Daily Tar Heel reports. Similar demonstrations have been held at Duke University and North Carolina State University, and the report says the protests are part of a larger nationwide movement to get the attention of lawmakers.

The point of the rally was to collect signatures on a petition to send to Washington. The protesters told the Daily Tar Heel that proposed healthcare reform legislation would extend the time that drugmakers can hold on to pharmaceutical information, which would delay generic versions of drugs from hitting the market.

"It is a really important issue that might not affect us now, but 10 years down the road it will be huge," Eric Butler, the UNC student who organized the event, tells the Daily Tar Heel.

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