New law leads to more insured young adults (Obamacare allows youth to be on Parent's plans till 26)

MSNBC ^ | 09/22/2011 | Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

[SeekAndFind]

At least one part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul has proven popular. With the economy sputtering, the number of young adults covered by health insurance grew by about a million as families flocked to take advantage of a new benefit in the law.

Two surveys released Wednesday — one by the government, another by Gallup — found significantly fewer young adults going without coverage even as the overall number of uninsured remained high.

The government's National Center for Health Statistics found that the number of uninsured people ages 19-25 dropped from 10 million last year to 9.1 million in the first three months of this year, a sharp decline over such a brief period.

A separate Gallup survey reported that the share of adults 18-25 without coverage dropped from 28 percent last fall to 24.2 percent by this summer. That drop translates to roughly 1 million or more young adults gaining coverage.

The new health care law allows young adults to remain on their parents' health plans until they turn 26. Previously, families faced a hodgepodge of policies. Some health plans covered only adult children while they were full-time students. Others applied an age cutoff.

Elizabeth Wilson, an aspiring opera singer who lives near Indianapolis, said her mother's plan dropped her in the midst of a medical crisis because she had turned 23. At the time, Wilson was in the hospital under treatment for an inflammation of the pancreas. Because of the overhaul, she has been able to get back on the policy.

[truthkeeper]

Like many of us here, when I was 26 I had already been married 5 years, had a child, owned my own home, had been working full-time for years, and was attending school in the evenings to earn my Bachelor's degree. Needless to say I had my own health insurance, which was pretty darn good.

This country is going backwards.

[WayneS]

No. My entire post is still there.

The forst part is a quote from the headline. The "...for now" comment was alluding to the fact that once the law is fully in effect, a lot of companies are going to start eliminating their employees’ health insurance programs and begin simply paying the $2,000 per employee annul 'fee'. When that happens, “Dad” (or “Mom”) will no longer even HAVE a health insurance policy, never mind one on which “Junior” can 'ride' until he's 26.

[Raycpa]

But how many parents can no longer afford the cost after all the premiums are increased for the additional coverages ?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Like many of us here, when I was 26 I had already been married 5 years, had a child, owned my own home, had been working full-time for years

Here is what the youth of today have to face:

[Graybeard58]

The “26 year old children” B.S. was one of two written reasons my insurer gave me for raising my premiums by 33%.

The other written reason being, the no life time limit on benefits clause of obamacare, prior to obamacare the lifetime limit was $5,000,000.

I don’t have children living with me between 18 and 26.

[allmendream]

Again a government mandate will cost all of us more money.

I would like a health plan that didn't cover all the b.s. that government mandated it covers (like acupuncture) - such a plan would be much less expensive.

But no. Apparently I need a plan that covers all sorts of ludicrous quackery, psychiatric counseling, and a provision to cover my dependents until age 26.

Gee - you think that might make the plan more expensive?

[A CA Guy]

Wasn’t a dig at you, was a point that there was a rise in EVERYONE’S policy cost because of this.

[TigersEye]

For the humor impaired; my post was a joke. I apologize for burdening you.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Big deal. I want to be on my kid’s plan.

[anonsquared]

This was just step number 1.

Step 2 is defining all employer paid health care ‘IMPUTED INCOME’.

Step 3 is special tax on ‘IMPUTED INCOME’ because there needs to be a new huge federal government bureaucracy to determine ‘IMPUTED INCOME’.

They knew the age could never be increased to 26 if steps 2 and 3 were done first.

Oh, I forgot to add that all Dem contributing unions will be exempt from this.

[the invisib1e hand]

Til 26? Fine. Then they can’t vote until they’re “viable” adults, at 26.

[SaraJohnson]

It helps those who are fortunate to have parents with jobs and health care benefits. Obama will take care of that!

[LeonardFMason]

LOL! The segment of the population who needs the least amount of healthcare is getting coverage.

Young adults are the healthiest segment of the society. Life Insurance for young adults is cheap too because it is seldom used.

Why is paying to cover a segment of the population who hardly uses the very least of health insurance something to celebrate?

[VastRWCon]

Thank you both for that info!