Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

13.7 Million Young Adults Lack Health Insurance, Pt4

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Then there is still the problem the remainder of the 13.7 million without health insurance. Many of these fall into category of being denied by their families’ private or group health insurance plans. On their own, these victims can’t afford their own personal plans. Co- author and assistant vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, Collins explains "Voluntary employer-provided insurance is tied to the ability to get a job, and the jobs available to young people tend to be those that don't carry benefits". Although it’s true that most young adults don’t often require health insurance, many of those few occasions when they do, it is often for catastrophic reasons like bad accidents. Then their financial health can be even more catastrophic. As Collins says “…it is never a good idea to be without health insurance, no matter what your age".

One suggestion that the authors make is for states to further assist in increased accessibility of health insurance coverage. This is by making sure that their universities and colleges both offer health insurance to their students, both part time and full time, and also require these students to have coverage from somewhere. This would reduce the 13.7 million figure further by insuring the 1.6 million currently uninsured young adult college students.

A Washington, D.C group called "America's Health Insurance Plans” is also involved in this effort. This group represents 1,300 insurers cumulatively covering some 200 million Americans (about two-thirds of us). Their spokesperson, Robert Zirkelbach, believes that a combination of public and private aid is called for. His summary is this: "We need to make health-care coverage more affordable". He continues "That has to be done by reducing the underlying costs of medical care".