The Affordable Care Act: Young Adults, Children

The Affordable Care Act: Young Adults, Children

• Allows young adults to stay on their parents' health plans up to their 26th birthday. 6.6 million young adults have already taken advantage of the law to obtain health insurance through their parents' plan, of whom 3.1 million would be uninsured without this coverage.
• Prevents insurance companies from dropping young adults when they get sick or have an accident.
• Young adults in new private plans have free coverage of key preventive services.
• Provides access to quality coverage to young adults without access to affordable job-based plans, with the establishment of new state-based Health Insurance Marketplaces, beginning in 2014. Currently, young adults are the most uninsured group.

• Prohibits insurers from denying coverage to children under age 19 for having a "pre-existing condition".
• For children in new private plans, provides free coverage of preventive services, such as immunizations.
• Provides access to quality coverage for millions of children, beginning in 2014. Currently there are 7 million American children without any health insurance.