Young adults report better health and lower out-of-pocket healthcare expenses under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Harvard University researchers analyzed data on adults between the ages of 19 to 34 in the 2002-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which is conducted annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Starting in 2010, the PPACA allowed people younger than 26 to stay on their parents' health plans, so the researchers compared the experiences of 19- to 25-year-olds with those of 26- to 34-year-olds. The percentage of the younger group with health insurance rose from 62.7 percent to 69.2 percent with the implementation of the PPACA in 2010, compared with a slight decline (from 72.7 percent to 71.5 percent) for the older group.
Furthermore, nearly 31 percent of the younger group reported being in excellent physical health after the PPACA was passed, up from 27 percent before the provision allowing young adults to stay on their parents' insurance was implemented, according to the study. Meanwhile, the older group's self-reported health status got worse during the same time period, declining from 23 percent to 21 percent reporting excellent physical health.
The younger group's mental health also improved with the law's passage: The percentage reporting excellent mental health increased from 36.6 to 39.1 percent, compared with a drop from 35 to 33.2 percent for the older group.
Additionally, the younger adults' annual out-of-pocket expenses went from an average of $546.11 before the PPACA was passed to $490 in 2011, while the older group's expenses rose from an average of $626.66 to $644.82.
People between the ages of 18 and 34 — also known as "young invincibles" — became a focal point during the first open enrollment period for the exchanges. Without an adequate amount of young and healthy enrollees, the total amount of premiums health insurers collect for exchange plans would be less than the total healthcare expenses of exchange enrollees, and insurance companies could increase premiums to compensate. In May, HHS reported 2.2 million (28 percent) of those who signed up for coverage through the exchanges during the 2014 enrollment period were between the ages of 18 and 34.
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