Final answer:
Dependent children can stay on their parent's health insurance plan until age 26 under the Affordable Care Act. The ACA also expanded Medicaid and provided protections for individuals with preexisting conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), dependent children may remain on their parent's health insurance plan until they reach the age of 26. This provision is one of the pivotal elements of the ACA as it allows young adults to maintain continuous health coverage during a period in their lives when they may be transitioning between school and work or may not have access to health insurance through an employer.
The ACA also expanded eligibility for Medicaid and established protections for people with preexisting conditions, ensuring they could not be denied health insurance. Additionally, it aimed to provide health insurance to millions of uninsured Americans, including the expansion of Medicaid to cover able-bodied adults under 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level.