As organizations committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our nation’s children and families, we sent this letter in support of the Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act of 2015. This legislation removes a significant barrier to health coverage for young people aging out of foster care.

Recognizing the importance of health care coverage for youth who age out of foster care, Congress specifically provided Medicaid coverage for this population in the ACA. This provision equalizes coverage among young adults, placing young people aging out of foster care on par with their peers who are now able to stay on their parent’s insurance until age 26. The expansion of Medicaid to cover certain youth previously in foster care to age 26 is a significant victory for this population because it provides access to critical health coverage for an especially vulnerable group of young adults. Medicaid coverage will help young people become successful adults by ensuring that they, like their peers, have health care coverage and by removing barriers to success in post-secondary education and employment that can result from unexpected health care costs, unmet medical needs, and unaffordable insurance premiums or co-payments.


I stand with @Campaign4Kids and 145 orgs in supporting the Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act: http://bit.ly/1LgeuEw
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