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Health & Fitness

Young Adults, Your Health and Voting!

Young adults have a lot at stake in the November election and will have to be vigilant to see the full promise of the Affordable Care Act.

Why should young adults pay attention to health care reform and the election? Because, you are young, but not invincible! What is happening in health care reform (no, it's not over!) - and what happens on November 6 -- is all about you, too!

Let's back up. The Obama Administration championed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) legislation and congress passed it in 2010.  The legislation was challenged all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, but this past June, the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in a 5 - 4 vote. It's now the law of the land.  Yet, even before the Supreme Court's decision, the ACA started delivering on its promises to young adults under the age of 26.  Consider this:  with the ACA, you can now stay on your parent's insurance plan until you turn 26. You have new rights - health plans must provide you with preventive care (including contraception and screenings for STI's) without co-pays or co-insurance. They can't stop covering you if you have high medical costs. They also cannot drop you if you get sick.  And, if you are under 19 years old, new insurance plans cannot refuse you coverage for pre-existing conditions like Type 2 Diabetes and asthma. 

It's clear that the ACA benefits young Americans, but here's what's at stake.  Its work is not done! The ACA has more benefits rolled up its sleeve that are not scheduled to kick in until 2014.  Just like it's now illegal for new plans to deny coverage to young Americans under 19 for a pre-existing condition, young adults ages 19 - 26 will get that same protection beginning in 2014.  Health Insurance Exchanges will be operating online so that you can find the best health plan at the right price for you; and tax credits will be available to help you buy insurance if your income is less than $44,000 a year and your job doesn't offer you a plan you can afford.

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Just a little history here:  before the ACA, New York State worked hard to cover children through the Child Health Plus (CHPlus) program which began in 1999.  New Yorkers helped to push the state even further and we expanded CHPlus in 2007 to cover children in families where parent's were earning too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to purchase insurance on their own or through their employers. Here's the point. Even with all of this expansion and the near universal health coverage options for children under 18, we had no options for the people whose health also matters to the vitality of our state -- 19 to 26 year olds who are just starting out in their careers.  We all know how challenging it is to get started and how risky it is to go without coverage because you can't yet afford insurance. (Again, you are young, but not invincible!) Passing the ACA made it possible for young adults just starting out to have their health needs met. It may not sound like a big deal to some, but the implications for future health are huge for young adults who were previously forced to forgo their basic health needs and screenings, like gynecological visits that could prevent the onset of cervical cancer in young women.

When the ACA extended coverage to young adults up to age 26, it gave our future leaders the latitude to pursue career opportunities and higher education without compromising access to fundamental care. Society benefits by meeting the health needs of the young VISTA worker who would go without if she didn't have access to affordable care; the young professionals who are paying down huge student loans but get a break because they can still get the free health screenings they need; and, the young college grad who can stay on her parent's health plan a little longer while she pounds the pavement in search of full-time employment.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fast forward to November 6th - you may be tempted to stay at home on Election Day, but you can't. It's more than a day off from work (or a day off from looking for work!). It has to be a Day On for Voting for Your Health. The ACA has already made a huge difference in your options for care. It promises more - but not if you sleep the election. The promise of health care reform for young adults has not yet been fully realized. Whoever gets your vote on November 6th should have to answer to you about the protections you need in America's health care system. Make sure that you get the most out of the promises of the Affordable Care Act - vote for your health!

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