<p>I am wondering what impact this change has had on the motivation and career paths of today’s kids. When my H and I graduated college we were desperate to get jobs for insurance coverage. We also thought about what careers would yield job options. We both have in-demand professions but we know of many people who just took was available. </p>
<p>I want to say that I am in full support of the age increase to 26. My question for those of you with older kids is: do you think that having extended insurance coverage to age 26 has changed the direction of their job choices. Is childhood being extended because of this change? Do you feel kids should take a job though it is not optimal because it offers health insurance and benefits?</p>
<p>Well, with ACA it doesn’t really matter whether they have a job offering insurance or not – they have alternatives for insurance either way. If it’s not employer provided, they can buy a policy with appropriate subsidies off the exchange.</p>
<p>The biggest expense that an person living independently faces is the cost of housing. Then comes expenses such as insurance, food, utilities, vehicle expenses. So I think the main impact of the changes in the law is that it affords young people some more flexibility in job choice. For example, it may make it feasible for a young person to take an internship rather than full time employment.</p>
<p>Back when my daughter graduated high school, it wasn’t even an option for many kids to take a gap year, or defer college entrance to the spring semester – my daughter had been accepted to UC Berkeley as a spring admit, and while she planned to attend other colleges, I remember other parents worrying about insurance, because most policies did not cover kids over age 18 unless they were a full time student. </p>
<p>I also remember that when my daughter graduated from college in 2010, that the cost of insurance on the private market was quite scary. It was a huge relief to me when I learned that her college policy would continue through August of the year she graduated. She did get a job that provided insurance, but didn’t receive notice that she was hired until the day she graduated. </p>
<p>Personally, it is a great relief for us as parents, knowing we can buy an individual policy for our D if she doesn’t have a job that offers one by the time she’s 26. I think it opens more opportunities for kids to work part time and try working on their own instead of going with a company that offers medical insurance.</p>
<p>For S, he was happy he could stay covered under our family policy until he aged out at 26, even though his employer offered good health coverage and would pay 66-75% of the premium. S much preferred NO premium. We are hoping D will get a job that will have health benefits before she turns 26, but it is reassuring to us that we can buy her health insurance at reasonable premiums if she doesn’t (and that she’s covered by our policy in any case until then).</p>
<p>DD is getting her Masters and will start her first “real” job in June. She has some chronic health issues, and I’ve always told her, only half joking, that she should do whatever makes her happy as long as the job has health insurance. The ACA allowed her to go to grad school while still under our insurance, and she is welcome to stay for another year, until she is 26, even though her new employer offers health insurance. I guess, in theory, my one “condition” for a job is moot, except I’m not sure which of the available options and levels would cover all her needs. </p>
<p>It didn’t make a difference for me, I found a job with benefits as soon as possible. My parents insurance is massively expensive and has terrible coverage, so I had been eagerly awaiting getting my own policy affordably so I could have some procedures id put off. I couldn’t say for my sister, she lives at home and goes to school on and off due to medical problems. She would probably have to get a job with insurance if she couldn’t stay on my parents policy, and given her medical issues that would probably prevent her from finishing school. </p>
<p>To be honest, I think most new grads lack a sense of urgency over securing insurance regardless of ACA. Too many young people think they are young and never get sick so they don’t need it, so I’m glad they can coast on their parents policies for a while. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. I feel so old. The world is really changing. I am thankful that we now have accessible healthcare for all. </p>
<p>D was able to stay on our insurance through almost four years of med school. That saved her quite a bit. When there was a short gap - she turned 26 her fourth year - she was able to get single coverage until her residency insurance kicked in. I’m sure S will need it for some period of time after he graduates from college. I am most thankful for good healthcare.</p>
<p>I would like to see it go up to 35. Doing that would enable young professions to start small businesses without having the biggest expense of all. </p>
<p>My D has said she is so grateful to have one less expense to worry about as she figures out her next steps toward a career or even a job. She and we know how important it is for her to have medical insurance that is affordable. She has chronic health conditions and might otherwise have great difficulty getting coverage.</p>
<p>We had a brief window (between Aug and December when S’s U insurance lapsed, so we had to purchase an individual policy until he was again covered under the family plan). The premiums during that window were about as much as our portion of the premium for the family plan but the coverage isn’t nearly as good. S tried to buy a cheap policy under esurance with a HMO but was rejected due to pre-existing health conditions (though he is and remains pretty healthy–didn’t use any medical services during that time we were just paying his premiums).</p>
<p>So glad at least it goes up to age 26; 30 would be even nicer, but am happy with higher than 22 (or some policies were only 18).</p>
<p>Our oldest turns 26 in December and it is during her 4th year in med school. Our premium for family coverage is the same with or without DD on the plan. So it is great to have her on it instead of being on a separate policy. After, December 31, DD will no longer be covered on our plan. So on January 1, she will switch to the university’s health plan which runs through mid-August 2015. What we expect is that she will pickup coverage when residency begins around July 1, 2015.</p>
<p>I have no idea if I even had health insurance when I graduated from college and through law school. I just paid for whatever services I needed.</p>
<p>30? 35? Really? My mother had 5 children before she was 27 years old. It is really only cheaper if you have a family plan or younger children on the plan. I’m single, and have to pay for a family plan for my two, so it would be cheaper for me if they got their own insurance. I’m not sure I’ll carry them until they are 26.</p>
<p>^ You’re very lucky and costs were almost certainly not as high as now. My last medical need was billed at over 30k. It was an extremely routine surgery.</p>
<p>I’m 23 and have had my own policy for a few years and was uninsured before that. I’ll be switching to Medicaid next month and my first job should include benefits but I’m not counting on it, even with my master’s. </p>
<p>Some of us would not be able to get coverage if the law didn’t require policies for those of us with pre-existing health conditions, including asthma, which afflicts about 10% of our state. There are surely bugs that need to be worked out, but it really never seemed fair that policyholders would be dropped from or denied coverage for pre-existing health issues. </p>
<p>If fairness is your goal then it would be hard to support a law like Obamacare where people in the individual market are treated like second-class citizens compared to their fellow citizens who have employer insurance.</p>
<p>@HImom - agree. It’s been one of my biggest worries for my boys, both who have bilateral cochlear implants. Their CIs have been amazing for them but the upkeep (and upgrades) are very expensive. Having pre-existing conditions out of the picture is a huge relief for me and for them.</p>
We are hoping D will get a job that will have health benefits before she turns 26, but it is reassuring to us that we can buy her health insurance at reasonable premiums if she doesn’t (and that she’s covered by our policy in any case until then).</p>