Return to the Latest

Big day for Young Invincibles kicks off a big week for Health Care Reform

Two examples from Massachusetts today underscore the message of Young Invincibles: health care reform is a priority and a necessity for young Americans.

In a poll released today by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, health care ranked second only to the economy among young people’s top concerns, and an overwhelming majority (78 percent) said that Congress should pass health reform this year.

“Young people make up one third of the uninsured, and we have fought for months to make our voices heard in this debate,” said co-founder Ari Matusiak. “These results clearly refute the myth that young Americans don’t care about health care.”

The poll also shows that the majority of young people (57 percent) strongly support a public option, one of the major policy priorities of Y.I. Want Change, the national coalition representing more than 1.5 million young adults created by Young Invincibles.

The group also points to a bill in the Massachusetts state legislature to create an insurance cohort of students as a step in the right direction.  For today’s hearing on the student health insurance program, Young Invincibles submitted testimony supporting the proposal by Chairman of the Senate Health Care Financing Committee Richard Moore.

“Massachusetts is a national leader in health care reform,” said Young Invincibles co-founder Aaron Smith, “and we commend their recognition that young Americans, like all Americans, need access to quality affordable health care.”