Blame It on the Rain

The Boomers that I have debated with over the dependent coverage provision of PPACA have given me some fuzzy math about how their premiums will now go up because young people are not subject to proper underwriting. I am not completely sold on that. Even if it is the case, socking the Boomers isn’t the only answer insurers have.

I find it frustrating that Boomers, who frankly have never had to deal with the kind of economic challenges Millennials are facing when they were the Millennials’ age, are so quick to oppose this provision even though employer-sponsored health care is the way of our world and unemployment rates for high school and college graduates are comparable to the joblessness of the Great Depression.

Just as the gentleman who described the party as a wash made up his mind that the party was a failure due to the weather, I suspect that Boomers realize that this provision is a positive one but cannot separate it from the ogre that is PPACA.

Here’s the thing: others are obviously able to separate the good from the bad in PPACA and not be stubbornly rigid in their interpretation of the divisive law. Among them: UnitedHealth Group which has publicly said it will stick with this provision even if the Supreme Court strikes the law down. Likewise, UnitedHealth’s main competitors, Aetna Inc., Hartford, and Humana Inc. are in no mood to vilify themselves by striking down the provision.

A friend of a friend was considering re enrolling in a community college even though he had recently graduated in order remain on his parent’s health plan. I’m not sure if the scheme would have worked but the tuition was cheaper than purchasing a plan. Is this where we really want to be? Using our acumen accrued at expensive universities for connivance just so we can have access to health care?

Recent graduates have enough obstacles on their plates. The cards are stacked against them. An admission from some of our elders that are against PPACA that it is, at least, not all bad would be nice. And if that is impossible, then maybe they could consider getting recent grads some health insurance instead of a card and complaints about the weather.