There is a fascinating article on USAToday.com that talks about how a million new young adults ages 19-25 have health insurance now. And, even in the face of this harsh recession, more Americans have the security of health insurance than before. Here are the five main excerpts that excited me:
1. "We feel quite confident in attributing virtually all of the change to the provisions in the Affordable Care Act," said Rick Kronick, deputy secretary for health policy for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
2. “As of September 2010, the Affordable Care Act allowed young adults up to the age of 26 to remain on their parents' health insurance plans. Previously, adult children could stay on their parents' plans only if they remained in college or lived in a state with laws similar to the Affordable Care Act. HHS estimated that 650,000 people would sign up for the new coverage.”
3. “However, through the end of March, the number of young adults ages 19 to 25 with health insurance rose by about 900,000 or 3.5%, from the same period in 2010, according to records from the National Center for Health Statistics.”
4. “The same report shows that the percentage of all adult Americans with health insurance increased from 77.7% to 78.5% in the same period, a change attributed to the rise in young adults with insurance. Other recent studies by government and independent groups show the same trend.”
5. "An independent Gallup survey released Wednesday showed that insurance for young adults jumped from 71% in the first quarter of 2010 to 75% in the second quarter of 2011, which ended in June. Also, a U.S. Census Bureau report this month showed that insurance for young adults rose by 2% from 2010 to 2011."
I love this final statement that I guarantee you will never be seen on cable TV.
"Health care providers should see fewer unpaid bills because of this trend, he said, and that should cause everyone's insurance premiums to drop. At the same time, insurance costs for employers could rise about 3.4%, he said."
Yes we can, still.