<p>When a friend’s child graduated last year without job prospects his parents made a nice card informing him that their graduation gift was one year’s health insurance premiums, and that as soon as he had other coverage the rest of the cash was his to keep. You can’t let them go without - 22 year olds still think nothing bad will ever happen to them. He now has a job with insurance.</p>
<p>That is a nice idea, Dragonmom, and one I will keep in mind.</p>
<p>We paid for our son’s insurance after college until he could get group coverage with work. Think we used Assurion—was really very reasonable. Our d. is presently still covered under ours (plan covers until 24 regardless of student status). Since she has no coverage in her employment at this time, on her 24th birthday, if her income hasn’t increased, we will help her out.</p>
<p>We had our 23 year old daughter on our Cobra this summer- expensive! </p>
<p>As of September 1st, DD moved 3000 miles away and is paying her own $200 a month premium (Blue Cross Young Adult plan), along with her rent (three apartment mates ) and the rest of her living expenses. She is currently looking for a full-time job with benefits, but she has enough to live on for about 10 months from her summer and saved earnings. We didn’t offer to pay for her insurance, and I don’t think she would taken it if we had.</p>
<p>She definitely feels the urgency to get a decent paying job as her bank account dwindles. She had two interviews last week, and she’s taken a temporary part-time gig in the meantime while she’s looking for something with some growth potential.</p>
<p>It’s more insecurity than she’s ever had to deal with, but she seems fine with it. She loves the independence and seems happier than I’ve seen her in a while. If she isn’t able to make it financially (which I very much doubt will be the case, although it will be tight) she knows she can always come back here, live with us and get a job- no rent and very little board. I think she’d rather flip burgers at McDonald’s than have to resort that!</p>
<p>We feel very lucky that kids are covered until age 25 under DH’s plan. After that, we will definitely insist/ensure that kids get coverage. (MERRRY CHRISTMAS! GUESS WHAT’s UNDERNEATH THE TREE??? 
)</p>
<p>In Massachusetts, everyone is required to have health insurance in order to get the personal exemption on his or her state taxes. The state has set up what it calls an “affordable” plan for those who don’t have health insurance through their employers or famiy members.
[Commonwealth</a> Connector > Home](<a href=“http://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/site/connector/]Commonwealth”>Massachusetts Health Connector – The Health Connector is the the official website of Massachusetts's health insurance Marketplace)</p>
<p>I wish we had something like that here. It would have me breathing a little easier. It’s tough for these kids coming right out of school. $200/month for health insurance, $200/month car insurance, $200/month school loans, $200/month car payment. Doesn’t leave much for anything else. Since rent in my area is so danged high, it leaves little in the way for the kid to live on his own.</p>
<p>Lots and lots of sage advice here. Clear message-- GET HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOUR SON IF HE CANNOT AFFORD IT. It can be an HMO or a hight deductible catastrophic if thats preferred, but you should bever be without. They are not invincible. One of the leading causes of bankrupcy is medical bills.</p>
<p>If you have kids at loose ends in looking for jobs, look for places that do offer health insurance for a reasonable price. Starbucks for one, Circuit City, another. If they are working starter jobs at starter costs, they may as well go for the one with the insurance. Our son even had the option of adding us onto his insurance as long as he lived with us at his job, an attractive option had we been self employed because the coverage was good and the rates were lower than that for self employed.</p>
<p>cpt- the only way mine will be able to do it is to have roomates. She also lives in a city with good public transportation, so she doesn’t own a car.
Both of these things are what makes it possible for her to live with a starter salary.</p>
<p>After reading this thread and the one about northeastmom’s annual premium’s going up to $18,000, I have to say that I feel very sorry for those of you going through this. I hope that all of you examine the position of each candidate on healthcare in this election. I know that for many of my U.S. friends, it is near the top of their list of important issues. I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about it.</p>
<p>alwaysamom, thank you. It is this issue that will be the only thing that is now going to influence my vote. It is really a sad and dire situation.</p>
<p>"The U.S. spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care, $7,129 per capita. Yet our system performs poorly in comparison and still leaves 47 million without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered.</p>
<p>This is because private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume one-third (31 percent) of every health care dollar. Streamlining payment through a single nonprofit payer would save more than $350 billion per year, enough to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans.</p>
<p>Click here to learn more about single-payer national health insurance"</p>
<p>[Physicians</a> for a National Health Program - Health Care is a Human Right](<a href=“http://www.pnhp.org/]Physicians”>http://www.pnhp.org/)</p>
<p>Son recently moved out to another city. Took a slight cut in pay, but with a roommate is making a go of it. Used his $600 tax rebate for the move. We have paid six months of his car insurance. He has paid off student loans with grandmom’s help. Got a good bonus and moving allowance which he was able to pocket. Still going to be very tight for him. But he has health insurance, thank goodness.</p>
<p>I may have found his Health Insurance, but he pays. He does understand how it works and the alternatives. I sorta acted as a consultant with a vested interest…his and our pocketbooks and wellbeing.</p>
<p>Hmm, I think I just figured out what S is getting for his birthday this year. AND Christmas.</p>