Last week, House Republicans released a report on the impact of the Affordable Care Act, using sensationalist wording like “rate shock” and “death spirals.” For most young Americans, the reality is quite different. Far fewer young people have access to insurance through their jobs, and because of that unfortunate decades-long trend, insurance was simply out of reach until the ACA: over 19 million young people are uninsured. New options in 2014, including Medicaid, subsidies, catastrophic plans, and “guaranteed issue,” will improve the lives of millions of young Americans. Below is an analysis of the report and the key provisions of the ACA that young people will see.
