Hello everyone, while the bus is rolling through North Carolina, we’ve got a Young Invincibles update from the road in Mississippi. YI is partnering with the group Health Help Mississippi to help young Mississippians find health care coverage.

Did you know that 43% of young adults ages 18-26 in Mississippi don’t have health care? HHM and YI kicked off a youth outreach initiative that will be implemented statewide and reach out to college students at Ole Miss, Mississippi State, University of Southern Mississippi, and community organizations all across the state.

Dependent coverage and the 2014 Medicaid expansion are important to states like Mississippi, which has a youth unemployment rate of over 10% and a mean youth income of $8,456.  Without these options available, many young adults wouldn’t be able to afford health insurance and without a job to provide insurance, they are pretty much out of options when it comes to paying for medical bills.

This week, YI will be visiting the three district offices in Hernando, Starkville, and Hattiesburg and working with HHM on the campuses of universities in these areas.  We will be talking to college students to let them know they can get back on their parent’s plan, get health coverage through student insurance plans, or look in to other options that might be available to them. We’ll be working with HHM over the next few months to reach out to more young adults and walk them through the options available to them. Make sure to head over to www.healthhelpms.org to check them out and follow them on Twitter @healthhelpms and don’t forget to check out the YI tour bus updates at www.YoungAmerica.is!