Graduating College Students Have New Health Insurance Options
<p>With graduation approaching for many college seniors, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are hosting a conference call today to introduce an effort to inform graduating students about their new health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>The Affordable Care Act includes several provisions that will help cover young adults, one of the largest uninsured segments of the population. These include the ability to stay on or enroll in a parent’s health plan up to age 26, in effect since September 2010; significant expansion in eligibility for Medicaid, beginning in 2014; and the creation of health insurance exchanges with subsidized private insurance for people with low and moderate incomes, also beginning in 2014. </p>
<p>A Commonwealth Fund issue brief, <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2010/oct/realizing-health-reforms-potential-young-adults-and-affordable">Realizing Health Reform’s Potential: Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act of 2010</a>, found up to 12.1 million uninsured young adults may gain subsidized insurance once all the law’s provisions go into effect in 2014. The law will prevent many more young adults from becoming uninsured upon graduation. <br /></p>