According to a survey by Gallup Poll, growing numbers of young adults are taking advantage of the opportunity to stay on their parents' health insurance.
Among the reasons cited are the ability for those age 26 and younger to do so and the difficulty many have had securing medical coverage through employers. The survey's findings indicate about 1 million more young adults have health insurance now than before the recent healthcare law.
The survey found fewer respondents between the ages of 18 and 25 reported a lack of insurance coverage in the second quarter of 2011 than in the third quarter of 2010. At about 25 percent, the rate of uninsured was the lowest recorded by the survey since it began in 2008.
Despite this, the Census indicated this age group remains the most likely to live uninsured, and about 35 million 18-to-25-year-olds have no insurance. In some cases, they decline to participate in employer-provided insurance programs due to the expense.
The Gallup Poll survey also found more Americans over the age of 26 are uninsured, with the number climbing to nearly one-fifth. It remains unclear what the long-term effects of the healthcare law on insurance rates among Americans in general and young adults in particular will be.
