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States Taking Action to Insure Nation's 13.3 Million |
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From The Commonwealth Fund: Since 2003, 16 states have enacted legislation requiring insurance companies to provide health insurance coverage to dependent young adults on their parents' health plans beyond age 18 or 19, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. While Utah has had such a law since 1994, recent legislative activity reflects states' rising concern about the steady loss of coverage among young adults under the age of 30. Because a majority of uninsured young adults have low incomes, extending eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) beyond age 18 would be an important policy solution to cover this group, the authors say. Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Policies Can Help, finds that 13.3 million young adults ages 19 to 29 were uninsured in 2005, up from 12.9 million in 2004. Most of the state laws apply to all young adults but laws in Idaho, Rhode Island, and South Dakota only apply to students. Several federal level proposals, including the SCHIP reauthorization bill that recently passed in the House include provisions that would allow states to increase access to Medicaid and SCHIP up to age 25. "State-level efforts to cover young adults---one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the uninsured population---are very important, and it is exciting to see the momentum in this area," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "However, most uninsured young adults do not have access to private coverage through their parents' plans. For these young adults, extending Medicaid and SCHIP coverage beyond age 18 can make a real difference."
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