The annual Kaiser Family Foundation survey, released Tuesday, reported that 2.3 million young adults are newly insured since the dependent coverage expansion up to age 26 took effect. This new study estimates the number of young adults who have gained health insurance at more than twice the 1 million declared by the Health and Human Services estimateand the Gallup poll figures, both released last week. This is because it includes all young adults that joined their parent’s plan because of the provision, not just those that had been previously uninsured.  One thing is clear: under the Affordable Care Act, numbers of insured young Americans are increasing dramatically.

In the current tough economy, it is crucial that young adults have this type of access to affordable coverage. Firms with more than 35% of workers who were 26 and under were half as likely to offer insurance at all.  This number demonstrates a steady decline in benefits for young workers. Staying on a parent’s plan, or accessing Medicaid or competitive, subsidized exchange plans in 2014, should help to alleviate this access gap.

Meanwhile, health premiums are still relatively high for many young Americans who do have access to their own insurance from their jobs. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey reported that the average premium for employer-sponsored single coverage was $5,429.  However, employers picked up most of the tab for these plans, with workers paying about $924 a year for their insurance.