When Rebecca Weinshall, a Syracuse native and Cornell alumnus, graduated in 2006, Obama’s health care plan wasn’t on the national radar.

But after moving to New York City to live with her boyfriend, Weinshall found herself without a job and without a health care plan of her own. Weinshall is one of nearly 13 million young adults without health insurance.

‘I couldn’t find a job anywhere,’ she said. ‘I worked at the Tasti D-Lite to pay the bills, and then I got mono.’

Complications from the mononucleosis led to serious health problems that needed medical attention. Weinshall got the care that she needed but was left with $17,000 in unpaid medical bills.

‘It feels overwhelming,’ she said. ‘I should be starting to save and instead I’m paying off bills.’

Weinshall’s story is not uncommon among recent graduates. Young adults ages 19 to 29 are one of the largest demographics of the U.S. population without health insurance. Thirteen million, or 29 percent, lacked coverage in 2007, according to a Commonwealth Fund study. The report also found that two-thirds of young adults who spent time without insurance coverage in the past year had gone without needed medical care because it cost too much.

Deborah Freund, a public administration professor at Syracuse University and a senior associate at SU’s Center for Policy Research, has seen an increase in the number of college graduates without medical insurance. Freund blames this trend on the rising cost of health insurance and care over time.

‘Health insurance is about playing the ‘what if?’ game,’ she said. ‘Suppose one day you went out and ate a hamburger and had intense abdominal pain. You went to the emergency room and found out you had gallstones. Without health insurance, that bill could run you up to $10,000. Could most 22 year olds pay that kind of bill? Not likely.’

One solution would be to get a job that offers insurance right out of school, but many recent graduates find that entry-level jobs don’t offer insurance. Also, nearly 80 percent of college graduates who are looking for jobs haven’t found one yet, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The result is a rise in young adults who think they don’t need insurance since they’re young and healthy. But if something goes wrong – a car accident or a cancer diagnosis – an uninsured person could be in trouble, Freund said.

‘The notion of insurance is to protect you against a loss that would be both very expensive and unlikely to happen.’

Half of uninsured young people said they were paying off medical bills or medical debt over time, according to the Commonwealth Fund study.

Elizabeth Nyugen, a doctor at St. Joseph’s Hospital, said she believes that the most important thing college graduates should know about insurance is to never go without it.

‘Without it, you’re a ticking time bomb,’ she said. ‘Investigating what is out there is so critical, and there are many options to consider. There are no easy answers. Health insurance is expensive. But it’s necessary. You never know when you will be the unlucky one.’

hddubans@syr.edu

Published on August 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm