FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 18, 2013
Contact: Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@younginvincibles.org, 214-223-2913
New Data Reveals Young Americans Continue to Benefit from the Affordable Care Act
Numbers Come Two Weeks Before Open Enrollment, When Up to 7.4 Million Young Adults Will Qualify for Free or Discounted Coverage
[WASHINGTON]— Over 1.3 million more young adults (ages 19 to 25) have health insurance since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. According to the new report, since 2009, the uninusrance rate for that age group dropped from 31.4% to 27.2%. Despite the gains, 8.2 million young people still do not have health insurance. Starting October 1, nearly 3.5 million of these young people could be eligible Medicaid coverage if all states agreed to expand their programs, and nearly 4.0 million will be eligible for premium tax credits.
The new data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey’s (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The questions were asked in March 2013 about respondents’ status in 2012. Previous data from the National Health Interview Survey found an even more robust estimate of the number of young adults that have gained coverage after the Affordable Care Act’s passage.
“We are encouraged by this new data as it reveals that the Affordable Care Act is working for young Americans, but we know that there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that every young adult has quality, affordable health coverage,” said Rory O’Sullivan, Policy and Research Director at Young Invincibles. “As we head towards open enrollment, educating the up to 7.4 million young adults that could be eligible for free or reduced-cost coverage is critical to reducing young adult uninsurance rates.”
Starting October 1st, the public will be able to learn about and enroll in coverage on the new Health Insurance Marketplaces. Recent polling from Reuters/Ipsos found that one-third of uninsured young adults have said they are already “very” or “somewhat” likely to buy insurance through their state’s insurance exchange.
Young Invincibles is in the midst of a nationwide campaign designed to inform this generation about coming changes and new options. The campaign includes health care “train the trainers” to insure that community leaders are informed about new changes; a website with FAQs to educate consumers and advocates; and a mobile app to help consumers learn about their options and find local healthcare services. For more information, go to health.younginvincibles.org.
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Young Invincibles is a national organization committed to amplifying the voices of young adults, ages 18 to 34, and expanding economic opportunity for our generation. Young Invincibles ensures that young adults are represented in today’s most pressing societal debates through cutting-edge policy research and analysis, and innovative campaigns designed to educate, inform and mobilize our generation to change the status quo.