Politics

Health Insurance Reform Mythbuster: Young Adults and the Cost of Health Insurance Reform

By Office of the Speaker

Reform opponents continue to spread myths about components of America?s Affordable Health Choices Act, in an attempt to bring down reform.

MYTH: “The House health insurance reform bill will not benefit young people ? instead imposing unaffordable mandates upon them.”

FACT: The House bill provides young adults with access to quality, affordable health insurance they may not have now?including one-stop shopping online to find the best individual plan if their employer doesn?t cover them. The fact is that young adults are hit hardest by the health care crisis.

Right now:

Young people are the most likely to be uninsured, with 46.8 percent of those age 18 to 34 having gone without health insurance at some point from 2007-2008.

Young people are less likely to be offered coverage through their jobs (53 percent of those age 19 to 29, compared to 74 percent of those age 30 to 64).

Young people are less likely to be able to afford coverage and care, with two-thirds of uninsured adults age 19 to 29 reporting that they went without necessary care because of costs.

America’s Affordable Health Choices Act will help fix the problems young adults face in purchasing health coverage today. The bill:

Gives affordable options for people who don’t get coverage through their employer. The bill reforms the insurance market so that young people can’t be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, caps out-of-pocket costs, and creates a new marketplace that will allow individuals to comparison shop for the best coverage.

Invests in prevention and wellness. The bill will make preventive care free to everyone with insurance. This will help young people catch potential health problems early, and promote a lifelong wellness approach that will help avoid illnesses later in life.

Brings health care costs down across the board ? ensuring affordability. With the marketplace reforms that protect and empower consumers, as well as increased competition with the choice of a public health insurance option, premiums will be lower. The bill also includes affordability credits that will help young adults who are at the beginning of their career, and earning less income.

Gives people stability and security. The bill provides peace of mind by offering the guarantee of quality, affordable coverage, to workers who switch jobs, start their own businesses, or seek more education (as younger people are more likely to do).

Full post as published by The Gavel on September 17, 2009 (boomark / email).