Despite new laws allowing young adults to stay on their parent’s insurance until the age of 26 and 3 million people taking advantage of that, there’s been just a slight uptick in the number of young people going to the doctor.
Between 2009 and 2011, there was a three percent increase in routine checkups and a five percent increase in annual dental visits for young people. But that 18-25 year old cohort is still avoiding their flu shot.
Analysts expect some gains in the future, but only over several more years.
Doctors say some of the reasons why young people don’t go to the doctor for preventative checkups are many. Everything from lack of knowledge on how to fill or re-fill a prescription, not understanding their policies, not thinking they need a checkup, lack of money for copays or deductibles, fear of a bill of any kind, not knowing how to find a doctor or the right kind of doctor, and even fear something might be wrong.
