MAY 24, 2006 -- Young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 represent the largest and fastest-growing segment of Americans without health insurance, according to a Commonwealth Fund report released Wednesday.
The study finds that nearly 14 million people in that age group are uninsured, an increase of 2.5 million from 2000, and they are uninsured at twice the rate of adults ages 30 to 64.
"There are both health and financial consequences when young adults who are just starting out in the workforce or entering college lose their health insurance," the study's lead author, Commonwealth Fund Senior Program Officer Sara Collins, said in a statement. "Policy changes such as increasing the age of eligibility for public programs and continued parental coverage would stabilize insurance among young adults and ease their transition to adulthood."
Young adults from low-income households are most at risk of not being insured, the study found.