Obama Pitches Health Care Reform to Young People

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — During today’s rally at the University of Maryland, President Obama tailored his health care message to appeal to a younger crowd that has seemed conspicuously absent from the debate so far.

While he acknowledged that health care reform is “not a top issue for the young,” Obama made his case for why it was important for the 18-to-25 crowd to participate in the discussion.

Obama said that even though young people often think they’re “invulnerable,” health care reform would help young adults afford individual insurance plans and avoid going into debt to pay off medical bills. He got a big applause when he pointed out that his plan would allow young people to be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until age 26.

He also praised the University of Maryland for requiring all new students to have health insurance this semester, saying the mandate ensures that students aren’t “one accident or one illness away from bankruptcy.”