Expanding health insurance options for young adults

Pennsylvania and Illinois are expanding health insurance options for for young adults.   

The Tribune-Review reports on a Pennsylvania legislation passed by the House and the Senate that would "require insurance companies to offer the option of parents keeping their children on insurance policies until age 29." That could include some of the state's 400,000 uninsured residents between ages 19 and 29. "Policies now remove young adults from family plans upon graduation from college or at age 19 if not in school," according to the Tribune-Review. The paper also noted that New Jersey revised its law to allow adults younger than 30 to remain on parents' health insurance in 2007 (Turnbull, 6/1).

Meanwhile, The Chicago Tribune reports on a new Illinois law that went into effect Monday to allow parents to keep children on their insurance policies up to age 26. The paper notes that "the bad news is that young adults with chronic medical conditions may find it hard to secure coverage on their own."

"Last year, the Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation, reported that about one-third of young adults become uninsured for some period of time in the year after they graduate from college. Should something happen-a car accident, say, or a sports injury-these young people could face significant medical bills while they're trying to pay off college loans," according to the paper (6/1).