ABC World News (12/14, story 4, 0:20, Sawyer) reported, “And there was an announcement from the White House today about the President’s healthcare reform. The government said 2.5 million young adults who were uninsured now have received health insurance because of that law, which allows children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26.”
The CBS Evening News (12/14, story 5, 2:30, Pelley) reported, “Patient rights advocates like Ron Pollack of the nonprofit group Families USA call this an accomplishment because young adults will 19-25, are the most likely not to have health insurance.” Ron Pollack, Families USA: “This is a benefit for those people who are struggling to find a job or who are in an entry-level job and they can’t pay for health insurance and now they have the ability to stay on their parents’ policy until their 26th birthday.”
The Wall Street Journal (12/15, Radnofsky, Subscription Publication) quotes HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who said, “It shows what a big difference this law is already making in Americans’ lives.” According to Sebelius, without the option for additional coverage, insurance was a major factor in young adults’ career decisions, while others were “a car accident or a surprise diagnosis away from a lifetime of medical debt or worse.”