More than 3.1 million Americans ages 19 through 25 are covered by their parents' medical insurance policies because of a provision in the 2010 health care law, the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to announce today.
That's up from 2.5 million in December. About 75% of people in that age group now have insurance, up from 64% in 2010, records show.
"This policy doesn't just give young adults and their families peace of mind, it also gives them freedom," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, hitting upon a note often struck by Democrats making the case that the law allows young people to pursue entrepreneurial careers that may not give them health benefits. "They will be free to make choices based on what they want to do, not on where they can get health insurance."
The provision has become so popular -- both for security reasons for consumers and financial reasons for insurers -- that several health companies and employers say they intend to keep it even if the Supreme Court were to strike down the law this month.
It also adds healthy people to the insurance pool should the court strike down just the part of the law that requires people to buy health insurance, said Ron Pollack, founding executive director of Families USA, which supports the law.
Humana, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have said they intend to leave the provision in place because the policy provides "peace of mind" and stability.
"It's good for consumers," said Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans. "The goal is to try to get as many people covered as possible."
Adding young people, who tend not to use health services as much as older people, should bring down everyone's costs, said Sandy Praeger, Kansas insurance commissioner and former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
"I think it's a good business decision," she said. "If it was causing premiums to go up, companies would think long and hard about going back to the old ways."
Though he has called for the law to be "repealed and replaced," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has not said whether he would try to keep this portion of the law.
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