The health insurance ‘chaos’ facing young adults

When the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, what’s known as its dependent coverage expansion was immediately effective, guaranteeing health insurance to millions of young Americans up to age 26 who otherwise wouldn’t have had coverage.

“But for years, Republicans have whittled away at the infrastructure of the original ACA,” says KFF. “Plans sold in the ACA’s online insurance marketplaces have no stringent quality standards. Costs keep rising, and eligibility requirements and subsidies are moving targets.

“The erosion of the law has now created an ‘insurance cliff’ for Americans who are turning 26 and don’t have a job that provides medical coverage,” KFF says.

The price tags and complexity of choosing a policy mean that an estimated 15 percent of 26-year-olds are uninsured, the highest rate among Americans of any age, according to a KFF analysis.

If they qualify, young adults can sign up for Medicaid, the federal-state program for Americans with low incomes or disabilities, in most but not all of the states.

“The bad news is the good stuff is hidden in a minefield of really bad options that’ll leave you broke if you get sick.”

Publicly funded counselors called “navigators” or “assisters” can help people choose a plan. But those programs vary by state, and customers often don’t realize that the help is available, says KFF. And the Trump administration has cut funding to publicize and operate navigator programs.

Young Invincibles, an advocacy group representing young adults, has its own “navigator” program to help young people choose health insurance plans, KFF says.