In the past, quality of life has been primarily determined by food, water, and shelter. Now, increasing medical knowledge and advancements has reconstructed the way society qualifies their way of life. As a byproduct, health care has now integrated itself as a quintessential indicator of an individual’s quality of life, thus becoming the new standard. Healthcare illustrates that “health is really wealth” because it allows an individuals to remain productive in society. However, the crux of health care accessibility in the United States is the ability for someone to attain health insurance.
The gravity of this long with-standing pursuit has been seen in America’s history through bills such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Health insurance is emphasized in order to broaden the accessibility of health care, as well as to ameliorate the fiscal burden placed on the American population. This program was able to insure close to 20 million individuals, seen throughout the entire American population, which is regarded as a huge success. With the efforts of the ACA, the uninsured rate among this age group decreased to nearly 20%. Despite the active effort among the U.S government to ensure health insurance for all, the shortcomings of their agenda are glaring. These drawbacks are best illustrated by the inconsistent rates of insured populations.
When breaking down the age demographics of the uninsured population, certain trends stand out. Before and after the ACA, the uninsured rate of individuals aged 26-34 remained at least 4% higher than all other age demographics. This translates to an astounding 6 million young adults that live without health insurance, solely in the 26-34 age group. Unfortunately, what remains consistent since the implementation of the ACA is the large number of uninsured individuals once they turn 26, which is the highest uninsured population in the U.S. when compared to all other age groups.
Before 2013, young adults are kicked off their parents’ health insurance by the age of 19; and during this period, when individuals transitioned from under the age of 18 to over the age of 18, number of uninsured people increased 3-fold. In an attempt to insure more young adults, the Affordable Care Act simply pushed the age at which individuals must seek their own health insurance, from 19 to 26. This policy never effectively helped insure more young adults. It simply shifted the spike in uninsured rates that occured at 19 (pre-ACA) to 26 (post-ACA). Therefore, what remains a consistent omission in health care policy is when individuals are actually forced to be on their own insurance plan.
The persistent spike, occurring from the transition between dependent to independent, can additionally be attributed to a systemic flaw seen with how the U.S. population is educated about health insurance. Studies show that of those that are between the ages of 18-24, a staggering 66% either don’t know, are not confident at all, or just barely confident with knowing where to go when acquiring health insurance. Even more concerning, 70% of this age group either don’t know, or are at most, slightly confident with knowing what questions to ask when choosing a plan. The lack of knowledge is so deep rooted that even rudimentary questions regarding health insurance are not understood. In the Journal of Adolescent Health, a study shows that even when individuals felt “confident” with basic concepts such as a deductible, a considerable 33% still incorrectly defined the term.
A mass dissemination of health insurance information allows the U.S to start making strides in educating the public. Social media has transformed the way the general public becomes informed. For years, insurance companies have exploited this medium; for example, numerous car insurance companies publicize the importance of their services and the importance of being covered. The idea of health insurance is not as openly discussed, thus leaving people in a cloud of uncertainty when picking a plan. Encouraging more social media publicity, of the importance of health insurance literacy, puts more weight on an issue that is currently disregarded. By mimicking the methods other insurance companies utilize via social media, health insurance companies can better equip the U.S. population to be more prepared when turning 26.