Adults aged 19 to 29 are the biggest group of the newly uninsured ... smaller businesses opting not to provide insurance

Young Adults Lead in Lacking Health Care: Report By Kim Dixon Reuters Wednesday 08 August 2007

Chicago - Adults aged 19 to 29 are the biggest group of the newly uninsured, according to an independent research group's report released on Wednesday

That age group made up 30 percent of the 45 million Americans without health insurance in 2005, according to the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund.

Young adults, many who are just entering the workforce and can't afford the high cost of individual insurance, are the big drivers of an increase in uninsured adults, the report said.

"They are at a vulnerable place in the labor market," said study author Sara Collins, an assistant vice president at the fund.

U.S. employers, especially smaller businesses, are increasingly opting not to offer health insurance, leaving workers to fend for themselves in the health insurance market. ...