Health care coverage has increased for Americans aged 19-25 years but decreased for those aged 26-34 years since implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Pediatrics.
From 2009 to 2012, health care coverage rose 3.1% for 19- to 25-year-olds but decreased 4.6% among those aged 26-34. Both groups were less likely to have a usual source of care, but the decrease was larger for the older age group (–6.1% vs. –3.3%), Dr. Meera Kotagal of the University of Washington, Seattle, and her associates reported.
There was, however, no significant difference between the age groups for visits to a physician for a routine checkup in the past year, with 19- to 25-year-olds down 1.5% and 26- to 34-year-olds down 1.9%. The investigators noted that, despite these largely negative changes, there was no significant change in self-reported health status: –0.3% for those aged 19-25 and 0.3% for those aged 26-34.
"Young adults, given their overall healthy status, may not desire regular primary care, and thus an expansion in coverage may not lead these individuals to have a usual source. The proportion of young adults who reported a recent physician’s visit ... has declined yearly since 2003," Dr. Kotagal and her associates wrote (JAMA Pediatr. 2014 Sept. 8 (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1208).
This analysis was based on data for 2009 and 2012 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The investigators did not report any conflicts of interest.
