Young adults are one of the fastest growing groups without health insurance – coverage they need to shelter them from medical debt and ensure they get essential care.


Expanding Coverage for Dependents describes one solution:  changing state laws to allow young people to remain on their parents’ health insurance beyond age 18.  This is a smart strategy during a fiscal crunch, as there is no cost to the state and typically little extra cost to parents and insurers. 


While thirty states have extended the age to which young adults may remain on their parents’ insurance, most states place restrictions on which dependents are eligible for coverage.  The report incorporates lessons learned from advocates in many of those states and offers suggested tactics for campaigns to expand dependent coverage, including reducing eligibility restrictions.