The department of Health and Human Services announced new figures today showing that the number of uninsured young adults has dropped by 2.5 million as a direct result of the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they are 26 years old, a benefit that could help 31,200 young adults in Virginia this year alone. With recent college graduates facing an uncertain job market, many young Virginians are going to graduate school or are taking jobs that do not provide health insurance.

The following students are two of an estimated 31,200 young adults in Virginia who will gain coverage this year because they are able to stayon their parents’ health insurance plans.

Khadijah Anderson, Age 21, Student at George Mason University

“I am a full time student at GMU and I work my way through school. The last thing I want to worry about is being booted off my parents insurance when I turn a certain age. The health care law gives me the piece of mind that I can go to grad school and not have to worry about health care.  I cannot even put into words how such a seemingly small change could make such a big impact on so many lives.”

Melanie Goff, Age 21, James Madison University

 
"I graduate in May and I am very concerned about finding a job, let alone a good job with health insurance. The Affordable Care Act allows me to stay on my parents' plan, giving me the ability to be flexible in a tough job market.

 “A lot of young people don’t see the need for health care until they really need it and it’s not there. But a lot can happen when you are away from home at school. Many of my fellow students also did not have access to preventative care until the health care law was passed. The health care law makes it so that young people have access to preventative care, which saves on health care costs further down the road.” 

***Click here for more facts about Virginia and the Affordable Care Act***