Urban Institute researcher Sharon Long and colleagues released two studies today looking at a success and remaining challenge of Massachusetts health reform.
Did Young Adult Provisions Work?
First, the good news (pdf): The researchers looked at the impact of the various provisions in Chapter 58 aimed at getting young adults (age 19-26) to enroll in coverage. These include allowing children to remain on their parent’s family insurance plans, and the Young Adult Plans (YAP) offered by the Health Connector. They compared the drop in uninsurance rates between young adults in Massachusetts to slightly older adults (ages 27-33) in Massachusetts, and to young adults in New York state. The analytic model controlled for other demographic and socieconomic factors such as race/ethnicity, family size, income, etc.
The study found that the young adult provisions made a significant difference. More at Health Care for All…
