Hey there! This is Morgan Noonan, junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art. Yes, I get asked "So what are you going to do with that?" quite a bit. I plan on becoming a medical illustrator. Booyah!

We work to make money. However, a paycheck is not the only benefit of having a job. Many careers come with the added benefit of health insurance; and securing medical coverage is essential to becoming a real person. It is important to note that not only seasoned professionals with years of experience get the advantage of health care benefits. Some part-time jobs offer these important perks as well.

According to the Free Management Library, “Benefits are forms of value, other than payment, that are provided to the employee in return for their contribution to the organization, that is, for doing their job. Some benefits, such as unemployment and worker's compensation, are federally required.”

They go on to explain that “Prominent examples of benefits are insurance (medical, life, dental, disability, unemployment and worker's compensation), vacation pay, holiday pay, and maternity leave, contribution to retirement (pension pay), profit sharing, stock options, and bonuses.”

The FORTUNE 100 Best Companies To Work For list picks top employers based on an array of criteria. It is not surprising that a major factor they emphasize is health care. They even draw special attention to the fact that “14 companies on this year's list pay 100% of their employees' health-care premiums.”

I, like many young adults, still rely on my parents to take care of my visits to the dentist and the doctor. I still even make my mom come in with me when I get my teeth cleaned. (Not because I’m scared—just so the hygienist talks to her instead of making me try and answer questions about college with a mouth full of instruments!)

At some point, though, we do need to take control of our own health care. And with the recent passing of the new Health Care Reform Bill--which most people agree has been a long time coming--it can be a little daunting. Some especially pertinent new changes include:

Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions

Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until age 26

Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.

No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage

When hunting for that perfect job, think about the long term. If you plan on having a family, will your company cover your children? Maternity leave may be the last thing on your mind right now, but it could be very important indeed in a few years. An even scarier thought is retirement. Nobody wants to get to his or her golden years and then have to rely on Bingo Night winnings to pay for that trip to Japan they always wanted to take. In the mean time, this new legislation means we can all stay children until age 26? Awesome!

(Illustration courtesy of Jared Rodriguez via Flickr Creative Commons)