FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 13, 2014
Contact: Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@
Young Invincibles’ Statement On New Age Breakdown Enrollment Data
According to HHS, 3 in 10 Enrollees Are Under 35; About One in Four Enrollees Are Between the Ages of 18 and 34
[WASHINGTON]—According to an announcement by the Department of Health & Human Services today, 30 percent of private insurance enrollees are under the age of 35 and 24 percent of enrollees were between the ages of 18 and 34, proportionate to their share of the overall population. Massachusetts’ enrollment experience shows that most young adult sign-ups will come closer to the tax penalty deadline.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund, which found that 41 percent of federal and state health insurance marketplace visitors were between the ages of 19 and 34.
“The Affordable Care Act is providing desperately needed economic security to millions of this country’s uninsured young adults,” said Aaron Smith, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Young Invincibles. “Despite early website glitches, nearly one in four Obamacare enrollees are between the ages of 18 and 34, defying conventional wisdom and putting enrollment well on track to reach even larger numbers of young people.”
Nationally, 27 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are uninsured. In addition, Medicaid expansion and tax credits could make as many as 18 of the country’s 19 million currently uninsured young adults eligible for free or reduced-cost coverage if all states ultimately expanded their Medicaid eligibility threshold.
Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Care Enrollments by Health Quality
Source: New England Journal of Medicine
“We are thrilled to see that so many young people taking advantage of new options and even more are taking the first step and learning about new options. We know from Massachusetts’ enrollment experience that enrollment rates among the non-chronically ill population spiked in the months preceding the individual mandate, so we anticipate that enrollment rates for this population to increase ahead of March 31st.”
Young Invincibles is in the midst of a nationwide “Healthy Young America” campaign, designed to inform this generation about new health care changes and options. The campaign includes on-the-ground enrollment efforts, health care trainings with community leaders to make sure they are informed about new changes, a website with fact sheets, tools, FAQs, a video contest to educate consumers and advocates, and a mobile app to help consumers calculate their potential tax credit savings, learn about their options and find local healthcare services. For more information please visit:http://www.healthyoungamerica.
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Young Invincibles is a national organization committed to amplifying the voices of young adults, ages 18 to 34, and expanding economic opportunity for our generation. Young Invincibles ensures that young adults are represented in today’s most pressing societal debates through cutting-edge policy research and analysis, and innovative campaigns designed to educate, inform and mobilize our generation to change the status quo. Follow us on Twitter at @YI_Care.