Healthcare for Young Adults

Like so many other things, young adults today have their own approach to healthcare. They borrow prescription drugs from friends, self-diagnose, stretch meds out and go to extremes to avoid traditional medical care – even when faced with broken bones – all (or at least partially) due to the high cost of health insurance.

These young invincibles— uninsured people in their 20s who either feel invulnerable or can’t afford healthcare coverage—are the nation’s largest group of uninsured, numbering 20.5 million in 2009, or 45 percent according to the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit research group in New York. Many are too old at 26 or above to be on parents’ plans, unemployed, or part-time employed without health insurance coverage.

“For a lot of people, it’s a choice between being able to survive…and getting health insurance,” said one young woman. “There was no way that I could pay my rent, buy insurance and eat.”

Others, unable to justify the expense of insurance, play doctor using online resources such as WebMD. Internet diagnoses can lead to mistakes, of course, followed by complications if self-treatment with expired or wrong “borrowed” medications are taken as a result. Trading prescriptions has become an underground black market among the uninsured. For example, one 28-year-old, describes getting the Ritalin she needed for her ADHD from a sympathetic doctor who has seen her diagnosis.

Then there are those who feel invincible or unbreakable. “I’m young, I’m careful, even when I snowboard,” says one 29-year-old athlete with no insurance. “I’ve hit a couple trees, but so far so good.”

The ramifications for the health insurance industry are rife. Opportunities to serve this underserved population—who essentially would largely choose to be insured if they could afford it—should be seized by healthcare insurance organizations nimble and flexible enough to recognize the lifetime customer value of coming to the rescue of this population.

—-

Direct Choice Inc. is a full-service direct marketing agency that has worked with national and regional brands in a wide variety of vertical markets. In addition to this blog, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.