Young adults (ages 19-26) are one of the largest populations of uninsured Americans. The Common- wealth Fund, a national health care advocacy group, estimates that the number of uninsured young adults has reached 13.3 million. This includes two out of five college graduates and one-half of high school graduates who are uninsured in the first year after graduation.

The transition from high school to young adulthood is marked by anxiety and opportunity. Accessing affordable health insurance is the newest hurdle in this transition.

Full-time students

Unmarried dependent children are usually covered under their parents' health benefit plan or by a government program such as Child Health Plus or Medicaid up to age 19.

Some parents have group health insurance policies, which may cover full-time students up to age 23 or 25 or graduation (whichever comes first). If your health plan covers full-time students you should:

• Check your insurance policies as student age limits may vary among policies.
• Compare student age limits when changing to a new health plan during an open enrollment period.
• Complete student verification forms. Insurance companies often require parents to verify dependent-student status, sometimes twice a year. Failure to respond may result in automatic cancellation of the student's coverage.
• Check with your insurer to find out how many credits are required to be considered a full-time student as well as special circumstances, such as out-of-area coverage and withdrawal from schools due to extended illness.

Increasingly, colleges are requiring students to have health insurance. Many colleges offer low-cost health plans, but coverage is often limited and can have high out-of-pocket costs for serious conditions.

Married young adults are not covered, regardless of student status. Some graduate schools offer health insurance.

In the work force

Entering the working world at age 19 means challenges — not the least of which is access to health insurance. Due to costs, many employers are not offering health benefits as freely as they once did. It is not unusual for someone working full-time not to be covered by health insurance.

When coverage is available, there may be an eligibility waiting period up to six months or a pre-existing condition exclusion.

Some states are passing laws to allow young adults to stay on their family's policy for a longer time without respect to student status.

In the past two years, 17 states have passed laws allowing young adults to stay on their family policies until their mid-20s. Age limits range from age 24 in Delaware, Indiana and South Dakota, up to age 30 in New Jersey.

Although this legislation has not been passed in New York state, many health insurers offer riders on a group basis that extend coverage to unmarried dependents. You can ask your local union leadership to check with the business office regarding making this coverage available.

Disability

All insurance companies in New York state are required to allow parents to continue coverage for unmarried dependent children age 19 or over who are incapable of supporting themselves because of a mental or physical disability acquired before the termination of their eligibility for health insurance.

Parents should contact their health plan to get application forms to apply for a child who is disabled.

If the young person has Social Security disability they are eligible for Medicare as their coverage, generally after two years of being determined to be disabled. If they do not continue to live with the parents, they may also be eligible for Medicaid.

Options

Here are some options to consider for health care coverage for young adults:

a) COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) — When dependents lose eligibility for health insurance, they usually have the option to continue coverage by electing COBRA. This allows them to keep the same group health insurance coverage for up to 36 months. The dependent pays an expensive full premium.

b) Healthy New York — Young residents of New York can purchase this comprehensive health insurance package from any HMO in New York state. Eligibility guidelines include part-time or full-time employment in the last 12 months and a maximum monthly gross income of $2,167 for an individual.

c) Chamber of Commerce or professional association — Young adults employed in a family business or who have an independent business may be eligible for group insurance through a local chamber of commerce or professional association. These rates are usually less expensive than non-group insurance.

d) College plans — Many colleges offer insurance coverage through their institutions. It is usually less expensive than non-group plans, but coverage is limited.

e) Non-group plans — State insurance departments often post information concerning non-group health insurance plans on their Web sites. Companies including Wellpoint and Aetna have designed low-cost plans for this age group, but they are only offered outside New York state.

"It is imperative that New York state and insurance providers make adequate coverage available," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue. "Being uninsured should not be an acceptable option. There may be ways you can avoid this risk by exploring other choices."