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the real cost of coverage
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| Published March 30 , 2008 |
Recent high school and college grads have opted against paying for health care in favor of taking care of other expenses.
For anyone of college age, health-care costs might seem as important to
you as Social Security benefits: It's something you've never had to
consider. Many young adults are dropped from their parents' policies or public
insurance programs at age 19, or soon after they graduate from college. They are far more
likely to be uninsured than older adults: more than four of 10 young
adults between the ages of 19 and 29 can expect to be uninsured at some
time during the year -- twice the rate of adults ages 30 to 64.
The problem has worsened over the last decade, with young adults from low-income households the hardest hit. In addition to being dropped from a parent's policy, many young adults
scoff at the idea of adding another bill to a burgeoning list of
monthly expenses. Young and healthy, there may not seem to be a need
for the insurance,
but their health care needs can't be ignored. Consider young people are
more likely to be physically active than their older counterparts thus
increasing the chances of sustaining injuries that require a docto'sr
examination.
Jobs available to young adults are often
low-wage or temporary, and typically do not provide health insurance.
Young Adults Who Do Not Go To College Full Time At Highest Risk
Half
of high school graduates who do not go to college are uninsured for
some time during the year after graduation -- two times the rate of
high school graduates who go to college. This is because young adults
who enter the labor market do not have access to university health
plans, and few are likely to be eligible for their parents' coverage or
to have a job with benefits. Jobs available to young adults are often
low-wage or temporary, and typically do not provide health insurance,
according to the report.
Lack Of Coverage Disrupts Access To Health Care, Creates Financial Stress
Although
young adults are on average healthier than older adults, they too need
access to both preventive and acute health care. Contrary to
conventional wisdom, they are well aware of the risks of going without
insurance -- when young working people are offered health insurance
they take it up at nearly the same rate as older workers. And they
suffer when they don't have coverage.
Half of 19- to 29-year-olds
without insurance coverage go without needed care because of cost. And
half have problems with medical bills, including being contacted by a
collection agency.
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