Young adults reaping benefits of healthcare reform law faster than expected

Some 600,000 young adults have already enrolled in their parents' or guardians' insurance plans thanks to the healthcare reform law, Kaiser Health News reports, outpacing the administration's expectations.

Democrats' healthcare reform law requires healthcare plans to offer young adults up to the age of 26 the option of enrolling under their parents' insurance starting Jan. 1. The Department of Health and Human Services had estimated that 1.2 million young adults would enroll in 2011, but new data from top insurers indicate that they're signing up faster than expected.

For example, WellPoint, the nation's largest insurer, added 280,000 new members in the first three months of the year thanks to the law's provision, according to KHN.

The provision is seen as a crucial tool to help young adults find affordable coverage after they graduate high school or college. People in their 20s have a 30 percent uninsurance rate, leading to higher costs for the overall insured population.