Youth Hit Hard By Obamacare Law

In 2008, the under thirty crowd overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama and in 2012 they doubled down on their allegiance to him, with over 60% of young voters choosing the incumbent president. While their reasons are as diverse as I suspect their MP3 collections are, one of the key factors repeated was the promise of health insurance for all. And with the added promise of premium assistance, many believed that their options would now once again be better because of the newly implemented Affordable Health Care Act. And why wouldn’t they believe these “truths”, the government’s own health care website states:

If you’re age 18-25, you may not be thinking about health insurance. You may think you’re healthy and don’t have to worry about it.  Or the cost might be keeping you from getting coverage.  But what if you get into an accident of have a serious illness?  Your medical bills could put you in debt of ruin your credit and you many not be able to afford the health care you need to recover fully.  The Affordable Care Act is expanding your options for health insurance and making them more affordable.

Really?  Expanding your options and making them more affordable? A new study released today shows exactly the opposite effect on premiums even with premium assistance.

Actuaries at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman predicted the laws age rating restrictions could mean a 42 percent hike in premium costs for people aged 21-29 when they buy individual coverage.

But President Obama repeatedly promised that we’d see a $2500 reduction in the cost of health insurance premiums per family, per year, and even “bring down the costs for the entire country.”  And while this specific portion of the study focuses on individual premiums, the ACA is proving to increase the premiums for the majority of Americans as well.  The study goes on to say that the increase in youth premiums will also destabilize the market due to the fact that many younger people will not be able to afford the higher rates and therefore will simply choose to opt out of coverage.

The promise from Obama and the democrats that rammed through Obamacare (ACA) was that it was going to provide health insurance for everyone and at a lower cost.  Those of us who understand economics (or reality in general) knew that this would not be the case.  The sad fact is that while Obamacare *may* provide coverage for everyone – health insurance does not equal access to health care. Doctors still won’t work for free, insurance companies are not non-profit, and if they offer coverage at all,  very few will be able to afford the options given.  

Maybe, just maybe in 2014 and beyond the youth of America will choose freedom over free stuff. All these government promises just don’t seem to be working out in their favor, do they? 

Follow me on twitter @KristinaRibali

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