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New Census Data Show More Young People Getting Health Insurance (Thank you Health Care Law!)

New Census data released yesterday show that insurance rates among young adults are on the rise, and in just one year, the percentage of insured 18-24 year olds jumped two percentage points (from 70.7% in 2009 to 72.8% in 2010). This 2% increase represents 500,000 more young people in the U.S. who are now covered, and is a clear sign that health care reform is working for our generation.

The dependent coverage expansion to age 26 has been a particularly powerful provision within reform, and certainly propelled this increase in coverage. Moreover, these numbers come after an earlier report that 600,000 young adults joined their parents plan in the first three months of 2011. In other words, more people have access to insurance because of reform, keeping young people healthier and giving them some piece of mind amidst the other hurdles they face in this tough economy.

Of course, there’s still work to be done. The new Census numbers also confirm that 18-34 year olds remain the demographic most likely to be uninsured, with about 28% lacking coverage. But as various provisions of ACA continue to take effect over the coming years, this positive trend will continue.