By Guadalupe Triana (Lewis and Clark College, 2016)

Last Thursday marked a significant win for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It wasn’t just a big victory for the roughly 16 million people who have benefited from affordable care since the ACA became law. It was a major milestone because it keeps the door open to affordable coverage for millions more people in the future, especially for 20-somethings like me.

My generation faces a far tougher economy than previous generations did. The cost of college has increased dramatically in the past decade and we’re taking on much more loan debt to afford school than we can easily manage to pay off (the average college grad. has $30,000 in debt). Putting financial aid aside, it’s a struggle to pay for books today — let alone think about other important investments, such as health insurance.

I was relieved when the Supreme Court ruled to keep health coverage affordable by protecting tax credits. But now I wonder, do all of my friends know about their coverage options?

Educating my generation about all of the health plans available under the Affordable Care Act, plus how to use them, should be the next big priority for health advocates.

Roughly 6.1 million people (aged 18 to 34) in the United States who don’t have health insurance right now qualify for tax credits to afford health care in the Marketplace, thanks to the King v. Burwell ruling. And my generation, which tends to take on a disproportionate number of low wage jobs, stands to benefit greatly.

Yet I’m not sure that most of my peers know about all of their coverage options. To outline them quickly:

If a young person under 26 years-old has a parent with coverage, he or she can get covered under that parent’s insurance plan. Thankfully, I’m covered under my dad’s insurance plan, which has definitely made it easier for me to visit a doctor when coming down with the flu.

However, there’s no need to worry as a 20-something who can’t get coverage under a parent’s plan. Many schools provide plan options, known as student health plans. More details on school plans available can be found here. Many of my friends benefit from this kind of enrollment plan and they receive nearly identical coverage.

And for those people over 26 years-old and without access to coverage through a school or parent, there are many health plan options in the Marketplace that — because of the SCOTUS ruling — are affordable.

Because you never know when that afternoon downtown run, or that co-ed soccer club tournament, or the midnight swim can land you at the doctor’s with a fractured ankle, it’s important to get covered one way or another! Our generation ends up in the emergency room more than any other age group, except the elderly.

My colleagues at Young Invincibles hold webinars to educate people between the ages of 18 and 34 across the country about plans on the Marketplace routinely — and they have created tools, such as this mobile app, that provide good guidance. But what else can we do to educate young people?

Please use the Comments section to share your ideas.