As my college graduation looms in the not-so-distant future, I find myself pondering things like where I am going to live, whether or not I will be able to find a job in this economy, and whether or not I should take a year off or go straight to graduate school. Luckily for me, the recent passage of health care reform means that I don’t have to worry about how I will be able to afford insurance. A provision in the new healthcare reform bill, which goes into effect in September, allows young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26. (Some insurers have already put this into place). This means that if I, or any other recent college graduate, can’t find a job that can offer health insurance, I’ll still have access to affordable health insurance through my family.

This will have a huge effect on decreasing the number of uninsured persons nationwide. It will provide coverage to young adults, who account for 28% of the total uninsured population.  The ability for students to remain on their parents insurance relieves a huge amount of pressure for the students and their families. Students won’t have to take jobs that they hate just because of the insurance benefits, and parents won’t have to pressure their children into going straight into graduate school or the work force. This will allow more students to have meaningful life experiences before settling down into a career and will make for a much happier (and healthier) workforce.

For more information, see the Center for Children and Families’ Say Ahh! Blog