More young Ohioans have health insurance
Posted September 24, 2012 in Press Releases
The number of young adults with health insurance in Ohio has increased more than 5 percent since 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The Affordable Care Act is credited for the uptick in Ohioans 18 to 25 years old with insurance. Ohio and 36 other states saw improvements in the number of insured young adults.
The ACA allows parents to maintain on their health insurance policy their children until they’re 26 years old, even if they’re married, eligible for another employer’s plan, not living at home or in school.
It also allows coverage for children 18 and younger with preexisting conditions.
“Although many Affordable Care Act provisions will not take effect until 2014, we are seeing some initial benefits, including a solid increase in health insurance coverage for Ohio’s young adults,” said Hannah Halbert, researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan economic research group.
Before the ACA was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this past summer, several insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, said they would keep those provisions of the law, no matter the ruling.