More than 13 million adults ages 19 to 29 lacked insurance coverage in 2007 because many young adults hold low-wage or temporary jobs that don’t include benefits.
This is according to a supplement put out by the Columbia Journalism Review for journalists to understand issues surrounding healthcare reform (which is helpful because it can be very confusing!) It is based on a report put out by The Commonwealth Fund. It goes on to say :
During their early working years, young people frequently go without coverage until they get jobs with better benefits. Yet Commonwealth research shows that gaps in coverage can have important health and economic consequences for young adults and their families.
Comprehensive health reform could extend affordable coverage not only to the 13 million young adults who currently are uninsured but also to the millions more who undergo coverage transitions during their early working years. Young adults could also remain covered under their parents’ policies until age 26. Those with incomes up to 150 percent of poverty level could receive coverage under Medicaid or CHIP. A portable public health insurance plan within a national health insurance exchange would provide a continuous source of coverage for young people who make frequent job changes.”
I believe part of the solution also lies in young people making conscious decisions to lead a healthier lifestyle. Preventative medicine really is key I am often appalled by the total lack of nutritional knowledge some of my peers have. They think eating healthy means eating “100-calorie packs” of cookies. They smoke socially. They listen to their iPods at high volume levels. Some of us can be very inactive. I, for one, will often sit on Facebook or in front of the TV for hours instead of going outside for a jog.
Young people who are still building their careers still deserve health insurance, but they should also do their part to take care of themselves.
Note that Kevin actually HAS healthcare…
Obama & the Democrats are tone deaf and have been for decades. America doesn’t want Socialized Heath Care nor can it afford another overblown entitlement program! Their stupidity is now ripping apart the very seems of the Union.
America wants heathcare REFORM, not healthcare REVOLUTION. It’s possible to insure the 15 million citizens who WANT coverage but can’t afford it without destroying the best health CARE system in the world.
The way to lower costs and cover the uninsured is through the free market system. Not through Uncle Sam’s interference. Medical savings accounts, private co-ops, purchasing pools, and tax credits are all viable solutions. Tort reform is crucial too. A “public option” is not. The government has an unfair advantage through taxpayer subsidies and will crowd out all private competitors.
America doesn’t want GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS. It’s not a “public option” as Obama so neatly catch-phrased it. It’s GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS, or Socialized Heathcare, and there’s no “option” if your employer switches your coverage. And we citizens don’t want this! No bureaucrat should ever stand between you and your doctor and lowering costs shouldn’t preclude top-notch care. Going to the doctor should never be like going to the DMV, and GOVERNMENT HOSPTIALS will give us that. Just like they did in England and Canada, where long lines, death panels, and rationing are now part of the heath care delivery system. Not to mention, top doctors flee those systems for higher pay in America.
If Obama and the Dimocrats like Socialized Healthcare so much than I suggest they move to Russia, Cuba, or the like and become single-payers in those failed sytems. Otherwise, HANDS OFF MY HEALTHCARE YOU GREEDY BUREAUCRATS!!!
Hi,
What do you think is the best way to motivate young adults to consider health insurance? to care about health insurance? to talk about health insurance? — What is the best medium to spread the message to this important audience? A town hall on YouTube? Facebook?