Half of young US adults lack insurance: survey

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half of all young adults in the United States go without health insurance, and more than 15 million Americans were uninsured for four years running, according to a government survey published this week.

The poorest Americans are the least likely to have coverage, and when broken down by ethnic group, Hispanic Americans are most-heavily uninsured, the report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found.

It said the healthiest people are the most likely to have insurance, but did not say whether their health was a cause or an effect of having insurance.

"During 2002 to 2003, young adults aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 29 were the most likely to be uninsured for at least one month (54.9 and 50.7 percent, respectively)," reads the report, available on the Internet at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/papers/st123/stat123.pdf

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/uninsured_dc

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. The prolife support the bastids who allow this nolife situation to

go on unabated. Our priorites are where someone can make a prophet (sp intended) or commit fraud and graft unchecked. This is hard to do if you are simply taking care of your citizens. Easy to do if you are contracted out to support the military (nobids).

[Poppyseedman]

2. The 18 to 24 bracket doesn't surprise me at all

Money is tight and even if their employers provides a medical plan, they opt out for cost or lack of need or between jobs. Most are single and not parents and in the prime of their life.

Also the number "half" is a little disingenuous at best in the lead sentence. The time frame is "one month"

After that period of "half" the percentage it drops to "16" +/-

My only beef with "universal" health coverage is people who don't want or need coverage are made to pay, like young people in this study.

[elehhhhna]

5. "People who don't want or need coverage"??? Like psychics?

Who the hell else knows exactly when they'll 'need' it?

[Poppyseedman]

8. "Need coverage" as in a "cost verses benefit" decision

Let's see: The average 20 something mentality below.

"Spend $40.00 a week for something I'll probably never use in the two years I plan to stay at this crappy job or have beer money this weekend?"

Duh!!!!!!!!

Needs and wants are too very different things

[Cobalt Violet]

7. Alls it take is being bite by the wrong tick and those young people...

Who don't need insurance will need it very badly or they will never be able to get out of debt. And that's just one example.

[Poppyseedman]

11. Very true, but most don't think in those terms.

Lots of examples to go around.

I work with alot of young people and when we hire them and offer good medical coverage for $34.00 a week, you would be surprised the number that pass. I encourage them to take it "just in case"

[Cobalt Violet]

15. People in that age group often think "it can never happen to me".

Accidents happen to other people. And there are a bunch of diseases that do favor those in their 20's.

I don't know how much pay $34.00 per week is subtracted from but I had a similar offer from my former employer. With 3 weeks of work going to just pay my rent, I really couldn't afford it.

[elehhhhna]

12. I can tell you that of the 5 kids between 16 &21 in this culdesac,

4 have needed hospitalization within the last 2 years.

[flamingyouth]

3. That doesn't surprise me.

In fact, I'm actually surprised it's not higher.

[0007]

4. Wow! That should tell ya lot about car insurance also, n/t

[Poppyseedman]

6. Excellent observation

[cboy4]

9. I can't imagine how stressful it would be knowing you are

just one hospitalization away from bankruptcy or worse.

And of course, the selfish Republicans restructured the bankruptcy law.

What a crime.

[Poppyseedman]

13. I've been there at 46 years of age.

I went almost 9 months without coverage. Simply could not afford it with COBRA coverage.

Interestingly, I watched my diet a whole lot closer and exercised more. In general took better care of myself.

I did finally land a job with good medical benefits.

[cboy4]

14. Well, that's fine if you don't have a pre-existing condition like

myself who suffers from severe migraine headaches.

My medication is very expensive (because there is no generic form), and I was having to choose between headache medication and stuff like a new pair of jeans and gasoline when I was without

for 8 months.

So taking better care of yourself doesn't necessarily matter, per se, for people who need to take medication they can't afford.

I'm glad, however, everything worked out for you ;)

[saddemocrat]

10. Not Acceptable!

This situation is simply not acceptable in this country. Quite honestly, I'm really curious to see how Mitt Romney's (yes, I know he's a republican, but I'm going to watch this closely)Massachusettes experiment works out. There is no excuse for big companies to see their profits go up while they water down and take away healthcare insurance for employees.

I don't know what the answer is...we have had times in our life where we also had no or 'crappy' insurance.

Fortunately, we have good insurance now..because I just topped the $150,000 mark in the bills that I have gotten back for lymphoma treatment...and the bills don't represent all of what has already been doen. When my treatment etc is over, I have no doubt that they will hit $500,000.

Someone without insurance would get treatment but they would be forced to a county facility, might receive substandard care or would be stuck with a huge bill that would bankrupt them. In a country that professes to be so 'great', this is not acceptable.

[Cobalt Violet]

18. I will be one of the Massachusetts guinea pigs.

I am above the poverty level yet below the 300% poverty level. I can't afford insurance through my employer. I have a very serious chronic disease. I'll be glad to spread the word as to how this plan is working out for me assuming I'll still be here when it is up and running.

I very glad you have insurance. It sounds like the kind of debt that would be impossible to get out of. I hope you have success with your treatment and that you are cured.

[Reverend_Smitty]

16. When I graduate in May...

I plan on taking a year off before grad school so in the mean time I will have to take a job that probably won't have health insurance...so lets hope I don't get sick during that time. Thanks America!

[lovuian]

17. We need Universal Health!!!

:bounce:

[rodeodance]

19. weill the Dems make Health care an issue?

[area51]

20. I second that motion. (n/t)

[FloridaPat]

21. Last time I had insurance it was $800 a month. That was 4 years ago.

How am I suppose to afford that?

[lovuian]

22. Your right nobody can afford that

its ridiculous!!!

[Strangefire]

23. Living on the edge.

I'm 26. I haven't had health insurance since I turned 18.

I've just finished paying off a $2000 hospital bill from two years ago, when I had to be treated for lingering pneumonia. Now I feel like I'm living on a tightrope, afraid of falling.

Rent, bills, auto insurance, gas and food need to be paid for before I can worry about my health, however. And at the end of the month, there's just not enough left over to make health insurance viable.

[luckyleftyme2]

24. healthcare destruction

health care coverage has been discouraged by foreign investors who contribute heavily to republican candidates.
by doing this over a period of 20-30 years they have managed to destroy our whole healthcare system.
most of our good paying industries have moved off shore and the other major ones like the auto industry have moved or will move or fold.
our society is on the brink of disaster,and all they can say is national health care won't work.
well why have these businesses moved to countries that have them.answer because health care is not a business problem it is a national problem.
these politicans who will do anything to hold on to their jobs have brought this mighty nation to its knees. and i'm afraid we are taking the same path russia did.
we 've allowed the fools to spend us into oblivion.
our national wealth is gone-we're spending borrowed money!

[Supersedeas]

25. just one accident away

[FloridaPat]

26. You are 8 years ahead with the insurance payments in your pocket.

It's not like you're not gaining anything from no health insurance. Let's say you're payments would have been $200 a month. You're $19,200 ahead of the game. My insurance was $800 a month. I'm $38,400 ahead of the game. The game works as long has you don't have a lot of big health problems.

And take care of yourself. Live a happy life. Think happy thoughts. Eat healthy. Cuts you're chances.