The Young Invincibles

Posted on Feb 20, 2009 by Sergio Ulloa (G+)

The New York Times is running an interesting story on young under-insured Americans during the current economic crisis. Regulars to this blog will be aware that this is a favorite topic of ours, and really only serves to illustrate that serious changes need to occur in the USA's domestic healthcare and insurance industries. From the article: "My first reaction was to start laughing -- I just kept saying, 'No way, no way,' " Alanna Boyd, a 28-year-old receptionist, recalled of the $17,398 -- including $13 for the use of a television -- that she was charged after spending 46 hours in October at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan with diverticulitis, a digestive illness. "I could have gone to a major university for a year. Instead, I went to the hospital for two days." "Most family insurance policies cut off dependents when they turn 19 or finish college, and many young adults start out in New York cobbling together part-time or freelance work with no benefits. To qualify for Medicaid, a single adult can earn no more than $706 a month -- less than what a full-time minimum-wage earner makes. Yet the average insurance premium for a single adult is $900 a month, according to a spokesman for the State Insurance Department." Read more of the article, entitled For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Healthcare, by visiting the New York Times website. Its an interesting topic and one that bears further watching.