Millions Of Young Adults Join Parents’ Health Plans
While 6.6 million young people signed onto their parents' plans since the provision of the health law took effect, many still lacked coverage, according to a new Commonwealth Fund study. Cost, not a "young invincible" belief that they didn't need coverage, appears to be a key obstacle.
The Wall Street Journal: Millions Of Young Adults Join Parents’ Health Plans
About 6.6 million young adults signed up for health coverage through their parents' insurance plans in the first year after a new provision in the federal health law took effect, according to estimates in a study released Friday. As part of the law, most insurance plans offered by employers to their workers had to allow parents to enroll dependents on their plans up to the age of 26, starting in September 2010 (Radnofsky, 6/7).
Kaiser Health News: Survey: Young Adults Don't Necessarily Fit 'Young Invincible' Stereotype
Young adults' insurance coverage has significantly improved since the passage of the health law, but this trend could be derailed by the Supreme Court's much-anticipated ruling on the law, expected this month. ... The large number of enrollees shows that young adults are interested in health insurance as long as it is affordable, said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis (Torres, 6/8).
Reuters: Young Americans Get Health Insurance, Still Have Debt: Study
Healthcare reform likely enabled about 6.6 million young adults to join their parents' health insurance plans last year, a report found on Friday, though problems with medical bills and debt remained an issue. ... The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit organization that analyzes healthcare issues, polled 1,863 adults between the ages of 19 to 25 and found 47 percent of them joined or remained on their parents' plans between November 2010 and November 2011 (6/8).
Politico Pro: Study: Despite ACA, Young Adults Uninsured
A popular part of the health care reform law has helped millions of young adults get insurance — but there are still big coverage gaps for this population, a new Commonwealth Fund report finds. The survey also found that cost — not a “young invincible” belief that they didn’t need insurance — was an obstacle to getting coverage. “There is considerable evidence that affordability, rather than a belief that they do not need insurance, prevents young adults from enrolling in a health plan,” the researchers wrote (Smith, 6/8).