College-age youths one of largest groups of uninsured
posted Jun 25th, 2008 by Bryan M. Barletta
According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund titled “Rite of Passage: Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Polices Can Help, 2008 Update” 19-29 year olds are one of the biggest portions of the population that are without health insurance.
The number in that bracket make up 30 percent of the near 47 million uninsured after a climb to almost 14 million people in 2006. Only 41 percent of those 13.7 million had a regular doctor.
When those uninsured youths break a leg and have to head to the emergency room, the hospital foots often hefty bill. Subsequently, we all end up paying.
Many individuals in this age range don’t see health care as a number one priority. Getting a job and paying off endless student loans seems a bit more pressing. But states like Massachusetts have taken steps to change that.
An October 2006 health care reform plan mandated that everyone must have health insurance. While the state’s heart is in the right place, the plan has a ways to go. The program has managed to get care for 340,000 individuals who were formerly uninsured. But few of those are from that 19-29 range, and there are still an estimated 200,000 uninsured in the state.
While Massachusetts plan has flaws, it shows the state has initiative to change.
