When you're young, it's easy to feel on top of the world, as if the health problems that plague Americans only affect the old. That's one of the reasons that people between the ages of 19 and 29 have the lowest rate of health insurance of any age group - a full one third carry no coverage. Because many young adults don't need as much medical care as older age groups, they're often unaware of the benefits that health insurance reform will bring to them.
The President's Plan ensures that young Americans will have coverage when they need it most, and makes that coverage easier to obtain and more affordable. Here's how President Obama's Plan will affect health insurance for young adults:
Extended coverage under your parents' plans. Currently, most young adults are forced from their parents' health plans when their turn 19 or leave education full time (usually around 22). President Obama's Plan will allow young adults to stay on family insurance plans until they're 26, giving them crucial time to transition into stable, full-time employment.
No gender discrimination. Young women have it particularly tough: in most states, insurance companies are allowed to charge as much as 1.5 times more for women than for men. Under the President's Plan, any form of gender discrimination in health insurance would be illegal.
Two-thirds of young adults who don't have health insurance say that it's becuase insurance has become too expensive. Young people often need less care than older Americans, but when they do need care, the bills quickly pile up. With President Obama's Plan, out-of-pocket expenses will be capped, so that young people aren't driven into debt becuase they're sick. And to encourage money-saving care that keeps young adults healthy, all preventive care will be required to be covered at no cost to the recipient.
Finally, becuase young people often have jobs that don't offer benefits or work for companies too small to afford coverage, the President's Plan for reform will create an exchange that lets individuals and small businesses always have access to quality, affordable care, even if they change jobs, get sick, or have a job without benefits.
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