HHS study: Health law guarantees stable coverage for young Americans

President Obama's healthcare reform law not only helps young adults get coverage but also ensures they're able to keep it over time, the administration said in a new report released Wednesday to mark the law's second anniversary.

Previous reports had shown that 2.5 million more young adults were insured in June 2011 than in September 2010 thanks to a provision of the law that requires insurers to allow people up to age 26 on their parents' plans. 

The new data show that, prior to the law, young people were more than twice more likely to lose their insurance over time than older adults; specifically, the report says, Americans aged 19-25 who initially had private health insurance in 2008 were uninsured for at least one month over the next two years.

"The President's health law gives hard working, middle-class families the security they deserve and health insurance to millions of young people," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement accompanying the report. "Thanks to health reform, more young adults have insurance and parents have peace of mind knowing that their sons and daughters will be able to get the health care they need if they get sick or are in an accident.'

Obama himself is keeping a low profile ahead of the law's second anniversary on Friday. Democrats and their allies, however, are celebrating throughout the week, with a focus on the law's provisions for young adults on Wednesday.

Two years after passage, the law remains deeply divisive among Americans. Some individual provisions fare better in public polling, however, including coverage for young adults.

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