Another example of broken healthcare insurance system

[disneysteve]

So um how is being on your "parents" plan until 26? So if you have children before age 26 then your parents will support their grandchildren on their plan until 26 and the you keep grandchildren on until 26? I'm sorry but this is turning insane instead of a universal health care.

Where are you getting grandchildren involved in this? I don't believe you can cover your grandchildren.

Extending coverage to age 26 was one of the biggest wins of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to the ACA, young adults were the demographic with the highest uninsured rate at around 30%. That group has the lowest rate of access to employee-based insurance because they have entry-level positions, part time work, or work for small businesses that don't offer coverage.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

No what I mean is when does adulthood start if we are covering our children to 26? I totally get they are uninsured and why I believe in universal care, but it seems a bit ridiculous that we keep "children" on their parents employer provided coverage to 26? So no adulthood until 26? Just seems ridiculous rather than decoupling employment and health insurance and making it universal.

My point is if a 18 or 22 year has a child does that mean the parents can get the grandchild on their employer provided coverage as well? It just seems like a more and more ridiculous system we have in the us by "expanding" the age we cover our "children" on health insurance. I will do it too but to everyone against universal medical insurance and care can you see how crazy it is now?

[disneysteve]

I will do it too but to everyone against universal medical insurance and care can you see how crazy it is now?

I imagine that those who oppose UHC also oppose the ACA.

And no, I don't believe I could get grandchildren covered on my plan if my daughter were to have children before age 26.

The ACA represented the first steps toward universal coverage. It just got completely derailed by Trump winning in 2016.

[Like2Plan]

No what I mean is when does adulthood start if we are covering our children to 26? I totally get they are uninsured and why I believe in universal care, but it seems a bit ridiculous that we keep "children" on their parents employer provided coverage to 26? So no adulthood until 26? Just seems ridiculous rather than decoupling employment and health insurance and making it universal.

My point is if a 18 or 22 year has a child does that mean the parents can get the grandchild on their employer provided coverage as well? It just seems like a more and more ridiculous system we have in the us by "expanding" the age we cover our "children" on health insurance. I will do it too but to everyone against universal medical insurance and care can you see how crazy it is now?

I agree with Disney Steve about covering children to age 26 being a big win. I mentioned in another thread that we kept our DS on our coverage 'til 26 even though he had his own coverage after he graduated college. In our case there was no additional cost for it. He didn't use it, but it gave me piece of mind. But, I know of folks in their 20's and 30's who had health insurance available, but didn't sign up for it because they figured they would stay healthy. Coming from the parent side of things--would you let your child (even one who was in their 20's) go without medical services if they needed it? I know I wouldn't.

Interesting thought about no adulthood until 26, though. I think the only way you could get your grandchild covered on your insurance would be under very unfortunate circumstances. Like if the grandparent had custody of the grandchild.

[disneysteve]

I know of folks in their 20's and 30's who had health insurance available, but didn't sign up for it because they figured they would stay healthy.

Many also don't sign up because they simply can't afford it. They are fresh out of college or grad school in an entry-level job making not very much. They probably have at least 20-30K in student loans, possibly much more. Perhaps they are renting their first apartment. They have a car loan. Spending even a few hundred a month for insurance is beyond their reach.

I'm not sure what we'll do when DD turns 26 and ages off of our policy. It depends what the state of the ACA is at that point. Hopefully, President Biden will restore and strengthen the plan and she'll be able to get reasonably priced coverage through it if she doesn't have a job with coverage at that time (she doesn't currently). Our premium will drop some when she is off our plan so I could take that savings and help her out a bit if needed.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

The ACA was hoping to expand medicaid which is an entitlement program. And once states expanded it, then it would become hard to take away. And that would accustom people to having it. Possibly true. Now I feel like theACA instead of making things better made it worse. If they had allowed people to go uninsured and let the system blow up this past decade. Instead it put our health insurance on life support instead of making hard choices. Do we got to a truly decoupled free market for health insurance? Or do we go single payer.