Forum Report: Uninsured Young Adults Major Concern in New York
Daunting demographics, splintering private sectors and crippling costs stand in the way of a solution to the problems of gaining affordable health insurance for young adults in New York.
Providing health care for New York’s 800,000 uninsured young adults is costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year as youths are utilizing hospital emergency rooms as their primary care physicians.Furthermore, a profound human cost is incurred as the uninsured are vulnerable to potentially catastrophic medical hardships and consequently, economic difficulties.Young people have some of the greatest health needs, but have significantly reduced access to an adequate health system, instead they are faced to combat one that is structurally and fiscally stacked against them.
New YorkState and the federal government should give priority to developing an affordable choice for providing young adults with health insurance; unfortunately, this issue is clouded by the current uncertain economic times.
Those are some of the insights and conclusions of a special forum on Uninsured Young Adults in New YorkState organized by BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York, and co-sponsored by NYU Wagner Alumni Association, the American Cancer Society, Demos, and Freelancers Union.The forum and public discussion about the lack of health insurance coverage for young adults (ages 19-29) was held October 14, 2008 at the NYU School of Law and drew an audience of more than 100 health care advocates, health care professionals, young adult workers, students, union members and benefit providers. The event featured five panel discussions, and a one-woman award winning performance, Hot Cripple, by Hogan Gorman.
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