Most uninsured young adults — even the so-called young invincibles — believe they need health insurance, according to new analysis. But cost still remains a barrier to getting it.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that just two in 10 uninsured young adults ages 18 to 29 said they were "healthy enough" to go without health insurance. The finding is important as participation from young people will be crucial to the success of the new exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to balance out older, sicker patients.
"Even among uninsured young people who call themselves risk-takers, most say that going without health insurance is one risk they don't want to take," said Kathy Hempstead, senior program officer at RWJF. "These results show that demand for coverage is strong, even in this challenging demographic. The challenge for the marketplaces will be to meet this demand by providing these 'young invincibles' with products they can afford. If they do, that will benefit everyone."
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited BenefitsPRO content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Critical BenefitsPRO information including cutting edge post-reform success strategies, access to educational webcasts and videos, resources from industry leaders, and informative Newsletters.
- Exclusive discounts on ALM, BenefitsPRO magazine and BenefitsPRO.com events
- Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
