2.5M added to parents' insurance

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Due to The Affordable Care Act, some 2.5 million additional U.S. adults ages 19-25 have been covered by private health insurance since 2010, officials say.

A report by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said data from the National Health Interview Survey showed since September 2010, the number of adults aged 19-25 covered by a private health insurance plan increased by 2.5 million because parents could retain their older children on their health insurance.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 2.5 million more young adults don't have to live with the fear and uncertainty of going without health insurance," Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Heath and Human Services, said in a statement Wednesday.

For example, Natalie Hough was diagnosed with a rare heart condition after suffering a cardiac arrest at school, Sibelius said. Her condition requires a lifetime of medication and care.

There was a day when this diagnosis would mean insurance companies would either not cover Natalie or would offer her unaffordable plans, Sibelius said.

Natalie Hough can stay on her family's plan and has started college due to healthcare reform, by the time she turns 26, it will be illegal for a plan to deny coverage to anyone, regardless of health, and Hough will have access to quality, affordable care, Sibelius added.