2.5 million young adults gain coverage thanks to Obama

[JoeChalupa]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireSto...9#.Tui8uFb4bhd

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON December 14, 2011 (AP)

The number of young adults lacking medical coverage has shrunk by 2.5 million since the new health care overhaul law took effect, according to a new analysis the Obama administration is to release Wednesday.

That drop is 2½ times as large as the drop indicated by previous government and private estimates from earlier this year, which showed about 1 million Americans ages 19-25 had gained coverage.

Administration officials said they now have more data. They say they're also slicing the numbers more precisely than the government usually does, trying to pinpoint the impact of a popular provision in an otherwise politically divisive law.

Under the health overhaul, children can remain on their parents' health insurance plans until they turn 26, and families have flocked to sign up young adults making the transition to work in a challenging economic environment. But the fate of President Barack Obama's signature domestic accomplishment remains uncertain, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a cons utional challenge next year, and Republican presidential candidates vowing to repeal it.

"The increase in coverage among 19- to 25-year-olds can be directly attributed to the Affordable Care Act's new dependent coverage provision," said a draft report from the Health and Human Services Department. "Initial gains from this policy have continued to grow as ... students graduate from high school and college." A copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to release the findings Wednesday.

The health care law's main push to cover the uninsured doesn't come until 2014. But the young adults' provision took effect last fall. Most workplace health plans started carrying it out Jan. 1.

I know several couples who are grateful for the additional coverage for their kid.

[101A]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireSto...9#.Tui8uFb4bhd

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON December 14, 2011 (AP)

The number of young adults lacking medical coverage has shrunk by 2.5 million since the new health care overhaul law took effect, according to a new analysis the Obama administration is to release Wednesday.

That drop is 2½ times as large as the drop indicated by previous government and private estimates from earlier this year, which showed about 1 million Americans ages 19-25 had gained coverage.

Administration officials said they now have more data. They say they're also slicing the numbers more precisely than the government usually does, trying to pinpoint the impact of a popular provision in an otherwise politically divisive law.

Under the health overhaul, children can remain on their parents' health insurance plans until they turn 26, and families have flocked to sign up young adults making the transition to work in a challenging economic environment. But the fate of President Barack Obama's signature domestic accomplishment remains uncertain, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a cons utional challenge next year, and Republican presidential candidates vowing to repeal it.

"The increase in coverage among 19- to 25-year-olds can be directly attributed to the Affordable Care Act's new dependent coverage provision," said a draft report from the Health and Human Services Department. "Initial gains from this policy have continued to grow as ... students graduate from high school and college." A copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to release the findings Wednesday.

The health care law's main push to cover the uninsured doesn't come until 2014. But the young adults' provision took effect last fall. Most workplace health plans started carrying it out Jan. 1.

I know several couples who are grateful for the additional coverage for their kid.

I don't disagree; it has also REDUCED the amount of paperwork we have to do managing employer's plans. We no longer have to verify whether a child in enrolled in school or not; they are just covered.

So, from a healthcare coverage side, mission accomplished.

However, from a societal side, we already have somewhat of a crisis of young men not growing up into adulthood - assuming responsibility, head of household, etc.....this will not help that.

Not a gripe I have with the law, mind you; just a symptom - I like the provision (I like the waiver of Pre-Ex that will fully take effect in '14 as well, for similar reasons).

[Viva Las Espuelas]

[boutons_deux]

"crisis of young men not growing up into adulthood"

the more sophisticated, evolved the mammal, the longer the dependent childhood.

Having lived in Europe, I saw very clearly that young adults there, each country I worked in, were more responsible and mature than the US young adults, who were/are still extremely silly, childish by comparison. So it's not the kids faults, but society at large, esp the advertising and film models of sex-driven, beer-swilling, -showing, scream-at-cameras, x-gone-wild jerk partyers.

becoming an adult, male or female, is extremely hard facing today's horrendous job market, even for college grads.

Even new lawyers are mostly screwed, and very pissed off by the way law schools suckered them into law school and deep debt on promises of riches.

[hater]

[greyforest]

Plenty of young adults around and not enough careers or opportunities for them to become financially self-sufficient. Worst economy since the great depression, etc etc. Lots of sympathy for us then, right, since our future is ruined and all?

Hah!!

The same people who told us as children we'd have to go to college if we didn't want to flip burgers now tell us we are lazy and self-en led because we refuse to flip burgers with college degrees.

[boutons_deux]

Here's some wonderful young adult maturity and responsiblity right here:

Vermont Fraternity Suspended For Passing Out ‘Who Would You Rape?’ Survey

The University of Vermont chapter of fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon is being suspended for passing out a survey to its members that asked questions including, “If I could rape someone, who would it be?”

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/201...u-rape-survey/

====

But many people simply expect "boys will be boys", and that "young adults will be boys", and don't see any harm done.

[johnsmith]

All I know is that my deductible has gone up, as have my co-pays, as have my every ing thing else when it comes to healthcare.

Some from my company and some from the "plan".

I ing hate it.

[boutons_deux]

"I ing hate it."

but you refuse to see a no-profit hard-core, salary-based, public insurance insurance as the only solution to being ripped off by the greedy, gold-plated health care providers and the for-profit insurers.

[johnsmith]

"I ing hate it."

but you refuse to see a no-profit hard-core, salary-based, public insurance insurance as the only solution to being ripped off by the greedy, gold-plated health care providers and the for-profit insurers.

No, don't get me wrong, I wasn't ok with the old way either.....but the new way is costing me more and since I care very little about everyone else and very much so about me, I ing hate it.

[spursncowboys]

@ anyone thinking a 25 year old is a child.

[cantthinkofanything]

Even new lawyers are mostly screwed, and very pissed off by the way law schools suckered them into law school and deep debt on promises of riches.

So the law schools are at fault? Crackpot.

[DarrinS]

Good to know that so many adult children will be covered.

[johnsmith]

Even new lawyers are mostly screwed, and very pissed off by the way law schools suckered them into law school and deep debt on promises of riches.

This is a first for me.....I've never heard anyone feel sorry for a lawyer before.