Health Care For Young Adults: What The Supreme Court Decision Means

On Thursday the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as the health care reform law or "Obamacare." The court found a central part of the law, the individual insurance mandate, constitutional, and Chief Justice John Roberts validated the mandate as a tax.

With health care reform free to move forward, there is some good news and some bad news for young people.

Young adults comprise the largest portion of the uninsured. This is partly because they make less money at the start of their careers, and so often forgo the purchase health insurance if they tend to be healthy and expect not to need such coverage any time soon.

Starting in 2014, though, young adults will be required to purchase health insurance or face a penalty from the federal government. They can also opt to remain on their parents' insurance plans until they reach the age of 26.

To find out more about how the Affordable Care Act affects young people, check out the slideshow below: