Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), a longtime opponent of the Affordable Care Act who has voted to repeal it, said that his 23-year-old daughter, Ayla, is on his congressional health insurance plan, taking advantage of a provision in the federal law.
Brown told the Boston Globe that his daughter was covered after he was endorsed by two former Democratic mayors, Boston's Ray Flynn and Worcester's Konstantina Lukes.
He told the Globe, "I’ve always said that I love covering my daughter until 26 years old." He added that she could also be covered under the Massachusetts health care law, which he voted for as a state senator.
The Massachusetts law, which shares many similarities with the law Obama signed, contains a provision allowing adult children to remain on their parents' insurance until two years after they lose dependent status under the IRS or until age 26, whichever comes first.
The health care debate has personalized politicians' health care choices. Following the 2010 election, some progressive groups called on congressional Republicans to drop their government-sponsored coverage. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.) said they would. Mitt Romney, who signed the Massachusetts health care law as governor and recently turned 65, announced that he would not enroll in Medicare and remain on private insurance.
About 2.5 million Americans under age 26 have been covered under the Affordable Care Act, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That resulted in an increase from 64 percent of people between the ages 19-25 carrying insurance to 73 percent.
Elizabeth Warren's campaign slammed Brown for taking advantage of the provision while voting against it. "Scott Brown spells health care: H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y," said Althea Harney, her spokeswoman.