2.5 million young adults gain health coverage

December 12, 2011

As of December 2011, about 2.5 million young adults had gained health insurance due to health care reform. The government attributes the gain to the reform provision that requires employers to extend coverage to employees' adult children up to age 26.

The Department of Health and Human Services showed the following gains in coverage for individuals in the 19–25 age range:

June 2010: 64.4% of young adults covered by health insurance

December 2011: 72.7% of young adults covered by health insurance

The mandate for coverage to age 26 was one of the first provisions of the health care reform law to take effect.

Young adults in this group are eligible for this coverage regardless of their marital status. They do not have to be enrolled in college, financially dependent on a parent or residing with a parent. For now, only young adults who have health insurance available through an employer are not eligible under this provision.

For more information on this mandate, See page 8 of the Unum report “Health care reform: Reshaping the U.S. health care insurance industry”