The impact of demographic and perceptual variables on a young adult’s decision to be covered by private health insurance

Abstract

BackgroundThe large number of uninsured individuals in the United States creates negative consequences for those who are uninsured and for those who are covered by health insurance plans. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are the largest uninsured population subgroup. This subgroup warrants analysis. The major aim of this study is to determine why young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are the largest uninsured population subgroup.MethodsThe present study seeks to determine why young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are the largest population subgroup that is not covered by private health insurance. Data on perceived health status, perceived need, perceived value, socioeconomic status, gender, and race was obtained from a national sample of 1,340 young adults from the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and examined for possible explanatory variables, as well as data on the same variables from a national sample of 1,463 from the 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.ResultsResults of the structural equation model analysis indicate that insurance coverage in the 2005 sample was largely a function of higher socioeconomic status and being a non-minority. Perceived health status, perceived need, perceived value, and gender were not significant predictors of private health insurance coverage in the 2005 sample. However, in the 2008 sample, these indicators changed. Socioeconomic status, minority status, perceived health, perceived need, and perceived value were significant predictors of private health insurance coverage.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that coverage by a private health insurance plan in the 2005 sample was largely a matter of having a higher socioeconomic status and having a non-minority status.In 2008 each of the attitudinal variables (perceived health, perceived value, and perceived need) predicted whether subjects carried private insurance. Our findings suggest that among those sampled, the young adult subgroup between the ages of 18 and 24 does not necessarily represent a unique segment of the population, with behaviors differing from the rest of the sample.

Health lifestyle behaviors among U.S. adults

“…In a sense, these discordant behaviors suggest that engaging in high levels of healthy behaviors may lead to overconfidence that limit other areas of health-oriented action. For example, a strong cultural emphasis on personal responsibility may lead members of these groups to focus less on primary prevention or influence their decisions to carry health insurance ( Cantiello, Fottler, Oetjen, & Zhang, 2015 ).…”

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“…The large variation in insurance coverage noted within the study population may be partially due to various eligibility criteria for public insurance in the United States. Other factors that affect insurance coverage include poverty, unemployment, and socioeconomic disadvantage . In addition, Stone et al revealed an association between insurance status and race or poverty in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties …”

“…Other factors that affect insurance coverage include poverty, unemployment, and socioeconomic disadvantage. 12,21,23 In addition, Stone et al revealed an association between insurance status and race or poverty in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. 24…”

Determinants of Attitude and Intention Towards Private Health Insurance: A Comparison of Insured and Uninsured Young Adults in Australia

“…Furthermore, a study of Australian health consumers found that consumers' choices are not grounded in their individual experiences of the system but their futuristic expectations of bene t and whom they trust to help them minimise risk [16]. In the United States, factors including perceived health status, perceived value, perceived need, socioeconomic status and ethnicity signi cantly affected whether U.S. young adults would enrol in PHI and that there was a combination of factors that affected their choices [17].…”