Young Adults Spurn Obamacare

Katrina Trinko / January 13, 2014

Young adults just aren’t that into Obamacare.

Only 24 percent of enrollees in the Obamacare exchanges are young adults aged 18 to 34, according to a report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services.  That’s far fewer than the 38 percent of enrollees the Obama administration said last year it would need to be between 18 and 34 for Obamacare to work.

One reason for young adults’ rejection could be the higher costs some will face in purchasing health care through Obamacare. An October Heritage analysis found that in 45 of the 50 states,  the average 27 year old buying individual insurance will pay more on the Obamacare exchanges.  In Vermont, for instance, the average monthly premium went from $150 to a whopping $366 – which might explain why in Vermont only 18 percent of enrollees are young adults.  That’s the same percentage of enrollees that are young adults in Arkansas, where the monthly premium increased by $180.

It’s no wonder the Obama administration is resorting to increasingly desperate gimmicks, such as making February 15National Youth Enrollment Day. That may be Valentine’s Day weekend, but if these percentages persist, the Obamacare exchanges will still be getting then cold shoulders, not love notes, from young adults.