Young Adults

Study: Despite earlier deaths, obese pay higher medical bills

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:59:54 -0400

New research suggests that young adults in their 20s who are as little as 30 pounds overweight may pay lifetime medical bills that are $5,000 to $21,000 higher than their normal-weight. Meanwhile, extremely obese young adults (70 pounds or more overweight) will incur $15,000 to $29,000 more in lifetime medical expenses than healthy-weight peers, according to a study in the journal Obesity. These numbers take into account that heavy people have shorter life expectancies.

The data varied by ethnicity. According to the study, medical expenses are much greater in obese white women than obese black women, probably because white women tend to use more health services at every weight level. Correspondingly, white men's costs at 70 pounds overweight were slightly higher than black men's costs.

To learn more about the study:
- read this USA Today piece

ALSO NOTED: Number of uninsured young people rises; Study shows problems in physician EMR adoption; and much more...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> New research suggests that the number of young adults going without health insurance rose again in 2006, with 34 percent of college graduates spending some time uninsured in the year after graduation. Article

> Want to know just how hard it will be to get physician holdouts on board with electronic medical records? This study by the Texas Medical Association may offer a glimpse. FierceHealthIT

> With the heparin scare fresh on people's minds, now China is reporting that six patients have died after injections of immunoglobulins. FiercePharma

> While the admittedly scary side-effects aren't that common, scripts for anti-smoking drug Chantrix have fallen dramatically, in a trend one doctor calls "fear-driven." FiercePharma

And Finally... In death, Fredric J. Baur will spend eternity with his proudest invention. Article

SPOTLIGHT: Rise in midlife suicides puzzles researchers

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:59:52 -0500

Of late, society has paid a great deal more attention to the growth of suicides among adolescents and young adults, but less attention has been paid to suicidal tendencies among middle-aged Americans. Recently, however, the Center for Disease Control released new data suggesting that the suicide rate among 45- to 54-year-old adults increased almost 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, a larger rise than among any other age group. Researchers now are struggling to figure out why this is happening. Article

SPOTLIGHT: Anticholesterol, hypertension meds up in young adults

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:59:52 -0400

In recent times, the percentage of young adults taking anticholesterol and hypertension drugs has grown substantially. Reasons for the growth include not only rising rates of hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol in this group, aged 20 to 44, but also a growing use of the drugs as preventive measures. Article

Report: Young adults swell ranks of the uninsured

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:59:58 -0400

About 30 percent of the nation's estimated 44.4 million people without health insurance are 19-29 years old, making young adults the largest group of newly uninsured, according to a Commonwealth Fund study. In 2005, about 13.3 million people in this age range lacked coverage, up from 12.9 million a year earlier.

The researchers blame several factors for the bump, particularly the fact that many get dropped from their parents' health insurance or public coverage for children when they turn 19 or graduate from college. And when they enter the working world, young adults often settle for low-wage or temporary jobs without health benefits. Low-income Americans are disproportionately affected.

The report says lack of coverage puts their health at risk and can add financial stress to their lives just as they're starting out in the workforce.

For the full report:
- Start with the Commonwealth Fund's issue brief.

Related Articles:
Presidential hopeful Richardson details plan for universal coverage. Report
Texas underwriters want employers to pay 100% of workers' premiums. Report
Foundation teams with online broker to find coverage for uninsured. Press release