Uninsured Rate Among Young Adults Has Plummeted, Thanks To Medicaid Expansion And The ACA

By Consumers For Quality Care, on March 19, 2021

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, a new report from the Urban Institute shows that the number of young adults age 19 to 25 without health insurance fell by nearly half between 2011 and 2018, largely thanks to Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Whereas 30% of this age group didn’t have insurance in 2011, that number fell to 16% in 2018. Many gained coverage under Medicaid, through ACA marketplaces, or by being able to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26.

Historically, young adults were less likely to have insurance because they were less likely to have a full-time job that provided coverage and allowed them to afford it on their own. Many also didn’t see the value in insurance as they were young and healthy.

The report also found that the uninsured rate had decreased the most among young adults from low-income households, as well as among Hispanic and Black young adults. There was not only an increase in health care coverage, but also in health care access, such as having a primary doctor.