Econintersect: Under one of the provisions of PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – Obamacare), children can remain on their parents’ insurance plan until their 26th birthday. This provision went into effect in 2010. As part of the 2011 American Community Survey, it should not come as a surprise that more under 26’s are insured.
Highlights include:
- While the insured rate of young adults (age 19 to 25) rose from 68.3 percent in 2009 to 71.8 percent in 2011, the rate for those 26 to 29 continued to decline, from 71.1 percent to 70.3 percent.
- No state experienced a decline in the insured rate of young adults from 2009 to 2011, while 37 states and the District of Columbia had an increase in coverage.
- Vermont had the highest increase in coverage among the young adult population, increasing from an insured rate of 75.2 percent in 2009 to 89.1 percent in 2011.
- Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii and Louisiana had increases in the overall insured rate but not in the privately insured rate. Conversely, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Washington saw increases in the private health insurance rate of young adults but not in the overall insurance rate.
Source: US Census
