Most opponents of “Obamacare” are quick to point out that among the Affordable Care Act’s many flaws is that most of its major provisions don’t take effect until 2014. It’s a fair criticism, but it also overlooks the impact of other provisions that have already taken effect. Consider, for example, the Census Bureau’s finding that the proportion of uninsured adults ages 18-24 fell by 2% in 2010. At the same time, rates of uninsured adults in other age groups increased over the same time period. One likely explanation for the decline is the ACA provision allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26.
Of course, a 2% decline isn’t dramatic in itself. But it’s noticeable enough to merit comment. It also demonstrates that real people are beginning to benefit from the law’s existence. Once the rest of the law takes effect–the insurance exchanges, the ban on denials of coverage for preexisting conditions, the Medicaid expansion–millions more will directly benefit from the ACA. Findings like this are also likely to fuel Republican efforts to repeal or nullify the ACA before that happens.
