Posts Tagged
‘Kathleen Sebelius’

Looks like a signature piece of health care reform – one that Rock the Vote fought hard for on behalf of young people – is getting a jump-start even before the law goes into effect.

Dependent care coverage, also known as “being able to stay on your parents’ insurance plan until you are 26,” will be offered by some major insurance companies prior to the law’s September start date for the provision. This is great news for a lot of people who would struggle to find insurance, including those whose birthdays make them ineligible to stay on their parents’ plans or will be graduating from high school or college in a couple of months.

Here is the statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on efforts to work with insurers to voluntarily provide coverage for graduating seniors and young adults:

Expanding the opportunity for younger Americans to get insurance coverage is a top priority for the Administration. The Affordable Care Act offers the option for most children under the age of 26 to stay on their parents’ policy. This is a group of people who have traditionally either been unable to afford coverage or have not had access to it.

Following our initial conversations and outreach to insurers, we are encouraged by the actions of WellPoint, United Healthcare, and other companies to bridge the gap between now and the fall when the law becomes effective.

We are also working hard with other insurers on similar proposals and sent a letter today offering to work with each of them to expand this opportunity even further. The letter follows productive discussions with insurers since the bill passed about closing the gap in coverage for college graduates or young adults whose birthday in 2010 made them ineligible to continue on their parents’ plans.

Good news.

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