FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 4, 2013

Contact: Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@younginvincibles.org, 214.223.2913

Young Invincibles Cheers New Polls Showing Strong Interest By Young People In New Affordable Health Coverage Options

Younger Respondents More Inclined to Get Covered Over the Next Year

[WASHINGTON]—A new Gallup poll finds that uninsured people under 30 said that they are more likely to get covered sometime in the next year than those uninsured individuals over the age of 30. This younger segment of the uninsured also indicated that they were less likely to opt to pay the penalty for foregoing the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that everyone have health insurance.

“This poll refutes a key myth about young adults and health care. Young adults are not uninsured because they don’t want insurance. Cost has been the single greatest obstacle to getting the coverage they need. Luckily, the Affordable Care Act provides tax credits to make coverage more affordable, benefits that disproportionately aid the young uninsured,” said Aaron Smith, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Young Invincibles.

Also today, a new poll from the Harvard Institute of Politics found that 7 in 10 uninsured young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 could be persuaded to enroll through the Health Insurance Marketplace, with 29% saying they were likely to get covered and 41% saying they were 50/50, indicating a major opportunity for public education of this generation.

“Taking into account the tax credits and Medicaid, it is pretty clear that coverage will be a good deal for our generation. With Healthcare.gov functioning far more smoothly, we are excited that young consumers now have the chance to check out their options and see that they will get more bang for their buck by shopping on the Marketplace,” said Smith.

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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.