As the 2014 college graduation season draws to a close, young adults are saying goodbye to their alma maters and entering the working world. Many face the challenge of securing their first full-time job at a time when the economy is uncertain and jobs are scarce. The vast majority of recent graduates—racial and ethnic minorities in particular—start their working lives under the shadow of significant educational debt. As if that weren’t enough, many of these former students also face losing the health insurance that they purchased through their college or university.

It is important that recent graduates understand that the Affordable Care Act gives young adults affordable options for securing coverage—including access to the financial help available through the health insurance marketplace.

For many years prior to the Affordable Care Act, we’ve encountered stories from consumers who have trouble finding health care providers who are in their insurance company’s network or who can’t get accurate information about which providers are in their network. Now, provider network issues are more contentious than ever.