The National Council of Women's Organizations is a nonpartisan, nonprofit umbrella organization of 260 groups, representing 12 million women across the country.
By Becky Mezzanotte
In a world where I continually hear gripes about the political state of the U.S., I can always seem to find a small piece of silver lining somewhere. For the health care law that passed in March of 2010, it’s the fact that I am able to stay on my parent’s health care plan until I am 26. It may not seem like it’s that big of a deal to some people, but to me it means quite a bit.
Why? Well, the main reason this means so much to me is that I’m a college graduate who went straight into graduate school. I don’t have a full time job as I’m still working on my education and even if I wasn’t in graduate school, there is a chance I still wouldn’t have a job with benefits due to the economy. It’s a terrifying thought for someone who barely is able to make rent that if I got sick or injured, the medical expenses would be astronomical.
The idea of being able to stay on my parent’s health care plan until I’m 26 provides me as an individual and several other young adults in the same position as me the ability to search out employment, continue grad school, or do whatever else we may be doing and still be able to afford medical attention, or medication should the need ever arise. Simply put, this means that I’m able to graduate with my Master’s degree and go out and find a job without the fear of “what happens if I get sick or injured”.
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Becky Mezzanotte is a graduate of American University and the current social media specialist at the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO).
