Mother Knows Best: Health Care Brings Peace of Mind to American Families

Yesterday, the President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met in the Oval Office with a group of moms who have been working to encourage their families, neighbors and friends to #GetCovered under the Affordable Care Act.

Women have a huge influence on their families and are a key demographic for the ongoing effort to ensure that consumers know about the benefits they can access through the health law. Moms understand how vital it is to nurture our kids to help them grow up strong and healthy. 

As a proud mother of two college-age daughters, the President’s health care law has already ensured my own peace of mind, by allowing my soon-to-be college graduates’ to stay on my plan until age 26. It used to be the case that many insurance companies would kick young adults off of their parents’ health plans on their 19th birthday or when they stopped being a full-time student. For a lot of young adults, that’s the exact time when they need the stability of staying on their parents’ health plans because they are transitioning in and out of school or jobs.

And my daughters are just two of the nearly 1 million young Latinos under the age of 26 who have benefitted from the health care law. Instead of worrying what may happen if they get sick, our children can focus on other important things, like getting an education.

And many more young adults who do not have access to health coverage through their parents, their schools or through their employer will be eligible for tax credits to help them buy affordable health plans through the new Marketplace. Nearly 5 in 10 uninsured young adults in single-person households who may be eligible for plans in the Marketplace may be able to purchase a plan for $50 per month or less after tax credits. Nearly 7 in 10 may be able to pay $100 or less for coverage in 2014. All of these young adults will no longer have to worry about being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes.

One of the hardest things about being a parent is that that no matter how careful and attentive we are, we simply can’t protect our kids from every hardship or crisis they might face.  None of us know what kinds of accidents or illnesses our children might experience over the course of their lives.  And the health law is also helping over 100 million Americans gain access to preventive care, like cancer screenings. I’m glad that my girls and I can learn about the risks like breast cancer, which runs in our family.  That’s why the Affordable Care Act provides these kinds of choices and protections that are vitally important for all our families. 

Today, I’m proud to be working for a President who has ensured that women like those I met today have more choices when it comes to health coverage for themselves and the peace of mind of knowing their families are covered. 

Please join me and many mothers across the country to help spread the word in your communities about the benefits of signing up for health insurance.  To learn more about how the Affordable Care Act can benefit your family, visit healthcare.gov.

Cecilia Muñoz is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council