2.5 Million Young Adults Gain Health Insurance Due to the Affordable Care Act

Results released December 14, 2011, by the National Center for Health Statistics demonstrate that the extension of dependent coverage up to age 26 has increased the number of young adults with health insurance, by even more than prior analyses had suggested. This policy, enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act, took effect for insurance plan renewals beginning on September 23, 2010, and was designed to address the fact that young adults have traditionally been the age group least likely to have health insurance. These new estimates show that from September 2010 to June 2011, the percentage of adults 19 to 25 with insurance coverage increased from 64% to 73%, which translates into 2.5 million additional young adults with coverage. These data also provide the first official comparisons of trends between adults ages 19 to 25 and slightly older adults, ages 26 to 35.