Young pushing change of policy for health insurance

Critics call them "young invincibles" or "young immortals," daredevils more interested in spending money on the latest electronic gadgets than insuring themselves against calamity. But health-care advocates say as fewer employers offer job-based insurance, the main obstacle to coverage is affordable health care. They note that young people starting their careers now face a changed job market, with increased reliance on temporary workers, part-time workers, subcontractors and extended probation periods.

Rose dropped out of UC Davis a year shy of a degree after her money ran out. Now a temporary worker in the student affairs office at CSUS, she is not eligible for employer-based health insurance.

Until she turned 24, Rose was insured through her parents' policy. She inquired about buying an individual policy but concluded the high-deductible, limited plans on the market weren't worth the price – more than $100 a month.

"What's the point if I could never see a doctor unless I was dying?" she asked. "Like the majority of my friends, it comes down to whether we want to keep our cars from being repossessed and paying down high-interest credit cards."

According to the California Health Interview Survey, three out of four uninsured employees either work for an employer that does not offer coverage at all or are not eligible for their employer's health plans.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's health plan – scheduled to get its first hearing Wednesday by the Assembly Health Committee – would require individuals to purchase health insurance and would provide subsidies for the poor.

But Democrats who control the Legislature oppose the individual mandate and contend the subsidies proposed by the governor would not be sufficient for many low- and middle-income families.

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