By the Numbers: 2.5 Million

Earlier this week, the CDC released new data that shows an additional 2.5 million young adults now have health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Before President Obama’s historic health care reform law was passed, young people were generally dropped from their parents plan when they turned 18 or left college. Obtaining coverage through an individual plan could be cost-prohibitive for young adults, especially those with pre-existing conditions, so many went without health insurance altogether.

The Affordable Care Act includes a provision that allows young adults to stay on their parent’s health insurance until their 26^th birthday. When that provision went into effect in September of 2010, about 64 percent of 19 to 25 year olds had health insurance. By June of 2011, that number jumped to nearly 73 percent.

What’s more, the most significant provisions of the Affordable Care Act won’t go into effect until 2014. When they do, an estimated 30 million previously uninsured Americans will have access to coverage.

For more information:

• Read about how the Obama Administration is reducing health care fraud, and making it easier for small businesses to insure their workers
• Read about how the Affordable Care Act has already saved seniors and people with disabilities $1.5 billion on their prescription drugs
• Read about how the Obama Administration is making it easier for doctors and other health professionals to adopt health IT to reduce paperwork and better coordinate high-quality patient care