Paterson Would Insure Dependents Up to Age 29

[stephanie]

By JEREMY W. PETERS
Published: January 6, 2009
ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson will propose that private employers be required to offer health insurance to workers’ dependents who are ages 19 to 29, part of what the administration hopes will be a step toward universal health care coverage in New York.

Mr. Paterson plans to call for the legislation during his State of the State address on Wednesday afternoon.

“This year, we will take another important step as we move toward increasing access to coverage for all New Yorkers,” Mr. Paterson said in a written statement on Tuesday.

Currently, employers are not required to offer health insurance to dependents who are older than 18 or, if they are in college, 22.

The proposal would amount to a wide expansion of coverage to some 800,000 people 19 to 29 years old who are uninsured. And it ties into a continuing initiative by Mr. Paterson, who is asking the State Legislature to approve deep cuts in spending this year, to enhance the kinds of social safety nets that are overwhelmed during an economic downturn.

According to the governor’s office, 31 percent of New York’s uninsured are ages 19 to 29. Many of them lose coverage once they graduate from college and remain uninsured until they are able to find a job that offers health insurance. But as the job market worsens, the state anticipates that the issue will become more pressing, with more and more young people unemployed and uninsured.


read it all here..
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/nyregion/07state.html?_r=1&em

[Trigg]

According to the governor’s office, 31 percent of New York’s uninsured are ages 19 to 29. Many of them lose coverage once they graduate from college and remain uninsured until they are able to find a job that offers health insurance. But as the job market worsens, the state anticipates that the issue will become more pressing, with more and more young people unemployed and uninsured.

Did they ever just consider that the people in that age group would rather spend their extra money on something other than health insurance. When your young and healthy you don't think about the need for insurance.

I know my husband and I didn't bother with it until we had our first child.

[Hobbit]

Did it ever occur to Gov. F***face that maybe I don't want daddy government forcing my actual parents to cover my health care needs? I'm an adult and can take care of myself, thank you very much.

The only thing that comes close to being as insulting as government taking away my money to give to people who didn't earn it is government taking away somebody else's money to provide me with some handout under the assumption that I couldn't possibly have provided it for myself. I don't need your help. I don't want your help. If I saw you on the street, I would probably punch you. Now go back to your hole and work on getting yourself re-elected. It's the only thing you're even decent at.

[PostmodernProphet]

kids and insurance is frustrating.....I had a family plan with two kids.....the first turned 18....insurance company said, they are dropping off the plan, do you want to add them for an additional $99.....wait, I said, you used to insure four for one price, now you only insure three, shouldn't the price go down?....Oh no, regardless of how many children you have the price stays the same.....so, this year the other one turned 18.....do you want to add her for an additional $99.....wait, I said, now I have NO childen and don't need the family plan, shouldn't insurance for my wife and I go down.....well yes, it did....but now you and your wife move into the empty nester category and your rates are higher because of that, so the premium will actually be just the same...../bleh.....