With 13.3 million young adult 19 to 29 without health insurance, they are one of the largest segments of the U.S. population that is uninsured, according to The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that advocates for better access and quality in healthcare. Two out of five college graduates, and half of high school graduates who do not enroll in college, will find themselves uninsured at some point during their first year after graduation. Though this population is generally healthy, the lack of insurance creates barriers to care (see below). The Commonwealth Fund argues that extending eligibility for public insurance programs beyond age 18, extending dependents' eligibility for their parents' private coverage beyond 18 or 19 and ensuring that colleges require full- and part-time students to have coverage and that offer coverage to them.

Lacking Health Insurance for Any Period Threatens Young Adults' Access to Care — Percent of adults ages 19 to 29 reporting the following problems in the past year because of cost (2005):