According to Fund assistant vice president Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., the report's lead author, uninsured adults are more likely than the insured to have problems getting needed care because of the costs, and more likely to be weighed down by medical bill debt. Among people with chronic health conditions, like diabetes and asthma, those lacking coverage are much more likely than those covered all year to skip medications for their conditions, visit emergency rooms, or be admitted to the hospital. Media coverage of the report was widespread; an Associated Press article, for example, was picked up by some 200 news outlets.

Adults in the 19-to-29 age group are the fastest-growing segment of the uninsured population. Every May since 2003, The Commonwealth Fund has published an issue brief documenting the crisis in young adults' health coverage and outlining potential policies that would give them access to meaningful and affordable coverage.⁽⁶⁾ In the 2006 edition, the authors reported further deterioration of coverage for this age group: the number of uninsured young adults climbed by 2.5 million from 2000 to 2004, to nearly 14 million. Policy options presented in the Fund-authored brief formed the basis of bills introduced by Representative Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) that propose to give states the option of raising the eligibility age for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) from 18 up to age 23.⁽⁷⁾ Another option presented in the brief—that insurance policies cover dependent young adults past the age of 19—has been enacted into law by five states since 2005.