“Young Invincibles”
Young adults, from the age range of 19 to 29, are known as the “young invincibles” by the health insurance industry. Why? Because they don’t have health insurance, they don’t want health insurance, and they don’t worry about health insurance. Yep, I would say that pretty much sums me up, and I can’t lie, it’s kind of nice to be on the cusp of that age group and still be referred to as a young adult. Nice.
The “young invincibles” are the largest age group of uninsured American’s in the entire nation. I suppose it’s no big surprise, considering many at this age are just getting out of college, just losing their dependent health insurance that they may have been able to keep through their parents, and are stepping in to a very unstable job market where health insurance might not even be offered. I totally get it.
“Only about one-half of all young adults who are working are offered coverage through an employer, compared to about 75 percent of adults who are offered coverage through an employer, over age 30,” said Sara Collins with the nonpartisan health care group, Commonwealth Fund.(CNN)
College Costs and Old Age
I tell you what, from personal experience it’s hard to afford health insurance when you’re too old to be covered under your parents, yet not experienced enough to land a job that offers health care. I worked my way through college as a bartender, serving drinks and the occasional therapy session, and spent most of the last ten years without health insurance. Even now, with a 9-5 and a mortgage, I still don’t have health insurance. Why? Because I have never needed it in the past, and perhaps it’s my “invincible” sense of self that causes me to not buy health insurance. Perhaps it’s the economy and lack of funds.
Health Insurance Facts
But, enough about me, according to the latest date from the Census Bureau, in 2007, there were an estimated 13.2 million uninsured young adults.(CNN) A great blogger over at ChangeHealthCare.com wrote an interesting piece about this CNN article, comparing my generation to the hippie generation of herbal remedies and natural cures. He takes an interesting stance on the issue of the “young invincibles.”
From Robert’s point of view, my generation’s key ingredient to staying healthy and avoiding the doctor at all costs is the gym, the internet, the old washing-your-hands-before-dinner trick, and eating right. Maybe our parent’s did teach us right. Even when us “young invincibles” have health insurance, which so few do, we still don’t go to the doctor. We look up the symptoms online, find the cure, and take care of it ourselves. Who needs health insurance?
What’s so wrong with not having health insurance and choosing to take a more DIY approach to our health? Well, according to the health insurance companies, everything. If we’re not buying, your prices are going up to make up for it. (Sorry about that.)If we aren’t digging the product, we’re going to find other ways to get what we need.
The Revolution
Robert says it’s a revolution. He says that the 13 million of us without health insurance will organize and be the ones to change the way this healthcare game is played. Do I believe him? Maybe, and maybe not. Sure, 13 million of us is a lot. But don’t make the assumption that just because we have the label the “young invincibles” and run around the same ages mean we want the same things. I might be watching Rachel Maddow and standing against town hall uprisings, while my best friend, who is just two years younger than me, might be watching Glenn Beck.
Is it a revolution, or just plain-old-fashioned young adults thinking like young adults, and living like they are invincible?
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