An intergenerational Town Hall meeting was held last Thursday in Sacramento by members of Young Invincibles and AARP to launch the Getting Covered campaign and promote the dependent coverage expansion.

President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers and insurance companies to offer dependent coverage to the families for adult children up to the age of 26. The new law makes healthcare affordable, provides rebates and strengthens Medicare benefits. Beginning Sept. 23 all eligible adult dependents will be able to enroll on their parent’s insurance at the start of the next benefits enrollment period.

The Young Invincibles and AARP have joined in a collaborative effort to help educate and expand opportunities for all young Americans between 18 and 34 years of age with the launch of Getting Covered.

 “This provision couldn’t have been better timed,” said Ari Matusiak, co-founder of Young Invincibles. “In a time where there doesn’t seem to be any options, this website allows at least one.”

Getting Covered offers information to families on how they can access healthcare benefits and receive dependent coverage. The  website offers expanded options to parents who are unsure if they qualify for dependent coverage and offers options that families can choose from based on a questionnaire.

 “It’s like you are at the doctor’s office and you are given a prescription. In this case, you are given a personalized healthcare prescription,” Matusiak said.

Matusiak started Young Invincibles over a year ago in the midst of healthcare the healthcare reform debate because he was afraid that young people’s voices weren’t being heard. The main goal of Young Invincibles and Getting Covered is to make sure that young adults have healthcare. It’s Matusiak’s hope, that with the help of schools, parents and children can get the information and guidance necessary to get covered.

For more information, visit http://www.gettingcovered.org