Today, the Census Bureau released data that shows a decrease in rate of uninsured young Americans fueled by the provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that extends dependent coverage to age 26.

The Census Bureau estimates that the uninsurance rate for young Americans between the ages of 19 and 25 dropped by 2.2 percentage points from 2010 to 2011. The uninsurance rate for this age group has fallen by 3.7 percentage points since 2009, before the provision was enacted.

The takeaway? Health care reform is working. The ability to join a parent’s health plan has allowed millions of young adults up to age 26 to gain quality, affordable coverage.  But there is more to come: improvements and dramatic drops in uninsurance rates among young adults as the Affordable Care Act takes full effect in 2014.

Meanwhile, the ability to join their parent’s plan is one of several ACA provisions already increasing young adult’s access to quality coverage. This fall, student health insurance plans will, for the first time, meet the same basic federal protections ensured by all plans under the ACA, improving coverage for millions of students.  For example, student health insurance will now cover preventive care and birth control with no co-pays and no coinsurance.