In harm's way: Young adults without health insurance
When
Though Qawwee is enrolled in a Medicaid family plan, the only thing she can get covered is checkups. As an independent contractor who is ineligible for a company plan, her health care must be paid out of pocket, and obtaining private insurance results in a further financial burden.
"I don't have private insurance because I don't have a full-time job to be able to pay for insurance or have it covered for me," she said. "The anxiety of getting into a situation that would require medical attention is the scariest part."
Like Qawwee, most people lacking adequate health insurance in
"Access to primary care continues to be one of the leading health concerns for
This population remains the highest rate of uninsured out of any age group according to the
In the 2019
When people go without health care, acute conditions that could be managed with regular screening can become more severe, resulting in complex care and more money spent at the doctor's office.
"We have not expanded Medicaid in our state, so it may be more difficult for them to receive public coverage," said
"It means that you could go to college and into the work world and have insurance while you're looking for work or whether you're in between jobs," Montgomery said.
Prior to the ACA, many health plans and insurers removed young people off their parents' policies because of their age, which left many college graduates without coverage.
Younger people have less access to employer-based insurance with them typically starting off working entrylevel and part-time jobs, or for small businesses that don't offer health coverage.
The chances of obtaining private insurance during the gap is a possibility, but for people between jobs, it's a luxury many can't afford or even think about.
"I have been without coverage for so long that I have not even thought about getting into private insurance," said 25-year-old
When Anderson aged out of his parents' healthcare, he began looking for work that could take care of those issues but was unsuccessful. Like many, Anderson believes healthcare insurance should be provided by employers.
"I feel like it is [not offered] because they are cheap," he said. "The state needs to look more at the companies that are not offering benefits, because if you are working, I feel like the company should always provide that." A common belief among many young people is that they are in perfect health and can live without health insurance. One in six young adults have chronic conditions like cancer, asthma, or diabetes, according to CMS. The high cost of care makes it harder for them to afford coverage, with nearly half of uninsured young Americans reporting difficulty paying medical bills.
Lawmakers could not come to a mutual agreement about the logistics and are expected to revisit the topic in 2023.
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