What's In the Health Care Bill for Young Adults?

Effective six months from now, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires insurers to permit children to stay on family policies until age 26. This provision applies to all plans in the individual market, new employer plans and existing employer plans if a young adult is not eligible for employer coverage.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the uninsured population. Many states don't provide health care coverage to adult children of policyholders once the child turns 19, and all too often, young people are not picking up a plan on their own. "The great news is that every parent is going to know that they have the ability to keep their children covered on their insurance, getting the medical care that they need," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow. "And they're going to be able to go out into the world of work knowing that they're not going to have to worry about what happens if they get sick.