Allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health plans into their 20s has protected them from high emergency medical costs, according to a study by the RAND Corporation published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Since September 2010, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required commercial health policies to allow adult children to stay on their parents' coverage through age 25, researchers estimate as many as 3.1 million more young adults have been insured, and private payers covered an additional $147 million of nondiscretionary emergency care. In the same time, health insurance rates for young adults who sought emergency care grew by 3 percent, according to the study.
"Our findings show that young adults not only are more likely to have insurance coverage after the provision went into force, but they and hospitals also have improved financial protection," said Andrew Mulcahy, RAND researcher and lead author of the study, in a news release.
The study only analyzed adults who received emergency care that they would likely have sought regardless of whether they were insured, Mr. Mulcahy added in the release, so "we probably underestimate the full financial benefits that the new rules have provided to young adults who need urgent medical care."
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Since September 2010, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required commercial health policies to allow adult children to stay on their parents' coverage through age 25, researchers estimate as many as 3.1 million more young adults have been insured, and private payers covered an additional $147 million of nondiscretionary emergency care. In the same time, health insurance rates for young adults who sought emergency care grew by 3 percent, according to the study.
"Our findings show that young adults not only are more likely to have insurance coverage after the provision went into force, but they and hospitals also have improved financial protection," said Andrew Mulcahy, RAND researcher and lead author of the study, in a news release.
The study only analyzed adults who received emergency care that they would likely have sought regardless of whether they were insured, Mr. Mulcahy added in the release, so "we probably underestimate the full financial benefits that the new rules have provided to young adults who need urgent medical care."
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