Democrat & Chronicle: Young, working and uninsured -
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Published on: 8/15/2004
Last Visited: 8/15/2004
They're like Jesse Casper, 23, of Byron, Genesee County, who lost his medical coverage in May when he graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology and became ineligible for continued coverage under his parents' policy.
The problem?
He and other young adults are no longer covered by their parents' insurance, transitioning into the job market and taking entry-level positions that offer lower wages and fewer benefits, according to The Commonwealth Funds' Rite of Passage?Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Policies Can Help.
...
Casper, for example, immediately got a job after college as a computer programmer at BizNetix Inc. in Henrietta.But the seven-employee Internet services company doesn't offer its workers health insurance.
But he doubts he'd buy coverage even if it was offered - especially since he needs any extra cash to pare down the $15,000 in credit card debt he acquired while in college.He used his credit card for school and living expenses during his first few years at RIT.
"I don't know if what I'm doing is the most responsible thing," Casper said.