Health and Science: Living without health insurance is an unecessary risk

You might want to think about this the next time you're seated in the doctor's waiting room: Who pays for your medical visit? Though most of us at Boston College are covered by the school's medical insurance or our parents' insurance providers, what happens after graduation? This is something that I have been pondering at the beginning of my senior year as the calendar surges ahead toward commencement.

Adults between the ages of 18 and 34 represent our nation's fastest growing population of uninsured, according to the New York Times article, "For Insurance, Adult Children Ride Piggyback" by Jennifer Lee. Approximately 30 percent of 18- to 24-year-old adults and over 25 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds do not have health insurance, as reported by the Census Bureau in August.

This increase in young adults without health insurance can be attributed to two economic causes: fewer jobs offer full benefits and the increase in premium costs makes insurance less appealing to people who are relatively healthy.

So why should you even care about having health insurance if you are in pretty good physical shape? Well, if you decide to live without health insurance, then you have to be willing to take a gamble with the risks. If, for example, you fall and break your arm, then you have to personally foot expensive bills for medical costs, plus the loss of income for when you are unable to work while you are recovering. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, the average hospital stay is about $3,300, and the uninsured are 30 to 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized for a preventable medical condition.

States are now lengthening the period during which children can claim dependence for insurance purposes. New Jersey, for example, has allowed for children to benefit from their parent's health insurance until they turn 30 years old. This is a change from the policy that has been in effect for many years, which guaranteed children to remain under their parents' health insurance plan until they turned 19 or if they remained full-time students, until they turned 22 or 23.

The laws allowing extended coverage permit insurers to charge clients extra premiums; these vary depending on the insurance agency. There are also certain restrictions, such as that the child must be a full-time student, not be married, and live in the same state or even house as the parents.

In the state of New York, three bills are in legislative committees to raise the age limit for children to 25, with some restrictions. Connecticut has a similar legislative proposal.

Going the route of purchasing your own health insurance can be pricey; the average yearly expense for an insurance plan is about $4,000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, www.fastweb.com offers students some alternatives. Consider each carefully before deciding which one is the best for you.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA): This law, passed in 1986, guarantees that most employees can retain their health coverage benefits after leaving a job under certain circumstances. College students benefiting from their parents' health insurance are eligible to sign up for COBRA and remain covered for as long as 36 months after graduating. Students must notify their parents' insurer about obtaining a COBRA extension within 60 days of graduation. For more information visit: www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fscobra.html.

Short-term health insurance: This category of health policy is geared toward people without pre-existing medical conditions. Most short-term insurance plans cover individuals for 12 months or less and are usually purchased in one-month intervals, allowing you to drop the plan once you obtain an insurance plan through an employer. Short-term plans usually do not cover preventative health care, such as physical exams.

State aid: Various states allow students to extend their health insurance post-graduation. New Jersey allows dependency on parents' health insurance up to age 30. Their parents must also be New Jersey residents. Other states, such as Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Texas have recently passed laws increasing the age limit for dependency for health insurance.

Permanent health insurance: This is the most expensive option, but could be a good one, especially for those who are self-employed. To decide on which health insurance plan is best for you, be sure to research coverage, co-payments, deductibles, limitations on drugs, and access to specialists. Another important thing to consider is whether you will be restricted to choosing from a list of certain physicians.

Alexis Mark is a staff columnist for The Heights She welcomes comments at markal@bcheights.com