Health Care Blog

Young People & Obamacare: Coverage for $50 Per Month

As David Simas, Assistant to the President, explains below, the Affordable Care Act has a lot to offer for young people. As a Health & Human Services report out last night shows, half of single young adults eligible for the Health Insurance Marketplace could get coverage for $50 a month or less.

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Leading advocacy groups for young Americans have been the biggest supporters of the Affordable Care Act, and have reacted enthusiastically to this new report.  Anne Johnson of Generation Progress said, “Not only do Millennials have access to quality health care and added protections under the Affordable Care Act, but evidence increasingly shows that coverage will be more affordable." Matt Segal at Our Time noted that the insurance plans are high quality, saying "This is indisputably a good deal." 

And follow @whitehouse today on Twitter, where we’ll be tweeting out local stories from across the country, where young people are signing up and looking at their options. Spoiler alert: you'll hear phrases like "peace of mind," "less than a cell phone bill," and "I'm thrilled."

Health Care Matters at Any Age

One of the basic necessities for the best quality of life is good health. In today’s world with so many advancements in medicine and technology, no one should be denied affordable health care. With this in mind, the Affordable Care Act will ensure that many families will have excellent health coverage without going bankrupt, in fact, most Americans will be able to get coverage for less than $100 a month. Additionally, it will help ensure that many Latina women like me will have their preventative care covered completely.

In my early twenties, I could not afford to see a doctor regularly for women’s health care. Instead, I relied on Planned Parenthood for my basic exams. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood could not cover all my health care needs, in particular provide me treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. As a result, I suffered through various symptoms that could have been easily treated with proper care but the cost was out of my budget. Personally, the services at Planned Parenthood were extremely beneficial but not enough. As a young Latina, with a low income I didn’t have very many options for quality health insurance. But now, the Affordable Care Act ensures that young adults are covered under a parent’s insurance plan until the age of 26 or they can purchase their own in the new Health Insurance Marketplace. These provisions are going to help many young women who suffer from the same disorder get the care that I didn’t have access to.

Finally, the need for good health care did not end with my struggles. In the fall of 2007 my future husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was a concern at the time since he did not have health insurance and with the medical care he would need, we were worried that our savings would be depleted. The pre–existing condition limitations for coverage put us both in a complete panic. Luckily, at the time, he qualified for assistance on his medications which are extremely expensive. And now, the new health care law will make sure that many Americans who have a pre-existing condition are never denied care or treatment so people like my husband can afford the care that they need.

Now my husband and I are insured through his employer and enjoying all the protections of the Affordable Care Act. Fortunately, we will not have to worry about any policies that will prevent us from getting the care we need when we need it.

Edna Christine Baillif is studying Spanish and Communications/Media Studies student at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.