Part 2 features reports on how the Affordable Health Care Act benefits young people and how community colleges are partnering with local businesses as follow-up to the White House Summit on Community Colleges.
White House Blog, March 25, 2011:White House
Better Benefits, Better Health for Young Adults
Posted by Mayra Alvarez, Director of Public Health Policy in the Office of Health Reform at the Department of Health and Human Services.
A year ago, young adults were one of the most vulnerable groups of Americans in the health insurance market. However, since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, many of you can now stay on your parent’s family plan until you turn 26. It doesn’t matter whether you’re married, living with your parents, in school, or financially independent. This is a huge improvement that is freeing people to make decisions about their education, their careers, and their lives without being hemmed in by outdated insurance rules.
Before President Obama signed the health law, you typically had to go off your parent’s plan at 19 or whenever you left school. This put many young people in a tight spot, especially if they were living with a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes, or asthma—since it was very hard to get quality, affordable health insurance. Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the class of 2011 will be the first to graduate with this new option on the books. Already, nearly 1.2 million young Americans will be able to gain insurance coverage this year as a result. This means as you start your career, you can pursue the jobs or opportunities that are best for you without worrying about health insurance.
Check out our Facebook page on this to learn more, or watch this video with step-by-step instructions on how to access this important benefit.
Young Adults, Get Covered
Kalpen Modi from the White House Office of Public Engagement talks about aspects of the new health care law that are important to you, as a young person.
There are other benefits, too, that are already in place:
•If you are in a new insurance plan, insurance companies cannot charge you a deductible or copays for recommended preventive services, like flu shots and other immunizations. Click here to find a list of preventive services that will be covered without a deductible or copays.
•Insurance companies are prohibited from capping the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime, or dropping your coverage due to a mistake on your application when you get sick.
•Most health plans cannot deny coverage to children under age 19 because of pre-existing conditions.
•If you have been uninsured because of a pre-existing condition, you may be eligible to join the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. To find out about plans available in your State, please visit: www.pcip.gov.
These are just a few of the new benefits and protections that Americans of all ages are enjoying across the country. I encourage you to go to HealthCare.gov to access more information about the law, including a personalized list of private insurance plans, public programs and community services that are available.
For more information, visit our Better Benefits, Better Health Initiative. You can also download the flyer.
White House, March 25, 2011:
Building Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Businesses
Posted by Kirsten White, Policy Director for Dr. Jill Biden
This past Wednesday, I attended the Department of Education’s third of four regional community college summits at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. These summits are being held across the country to follow up on the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges hosted by the President and Dr. Biden at the White House last October. As Dr. Biden said then, the White House Summit was only the beginning of our national outreach and efforts to demonstrate how community colleges are critical to educating the best, most competitive workforce in the world.
This week’s summit focused on the ways community colleges are partnering with businesses across the country to develop training and education programs that meet business and regional economic needs. Participants heard from several industry representatives about how they value a community college education, and how they are working to make sure their employees succeed both in the workplace and in the classroom.
One student named Leighton brought the crowd to its feet when he shared the details of his own experience, and the ways in which a partnership between his school and a local business gave him the chance to succeed where he never thought he could. While working part-time, his employer supported his education by paying tuition and building his confidence in his leadership skills. He is scheduled to graduate with his associate’s degree this May. Leighton is now a manager overseeing a shift of 11 employees, has significantly increased productivity on that shift, and plans to pursue his baccalaureate in elementary education.
Community colleges are places where Americans of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels have that opportunity to pursue the American dream. Dr. Biden, an educator of 30 years, has always said that community colleges are America’s best-kept secret. But the word is getting out. From renowned education experts, to CEOs and national policy makers, people are sharing stories of success and inspiration happening in community college classrooms and at businesses across America.