December 16, 2009: SHARE grantee Joel Cantor was interviewed recently by Congressional Quarterly for a December 11 story on the broad political appeal of expanding young adult dependent coverage. When asked about the actual impact of young adult expansion on the number of uninsured Americans, Dr. Cantor cited his SHARE study on expansions of such coverage, noting that his preliminary findings show no net impact on overall coverage rates for the young adult populations studied. This is due to a substitution effect, wherein an increase in dependent coverage was accompanied by an equivalent decrease in own-name coverage. Dr. Cantor noted that the impact of such expansions could be different if implemented on a national scale and accompanied by other reforms, such as an individual mandate and federal subsidies. "I think it's a totally different game in a post-reform world," he observed.
Dr. Cantor's SHARE project explores the overall coverage impact of young adult dependent coverage expansions in 20 states, with a particular emphasis on New Jersey's experience with this strategy.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Cantor's SHARE-sponsored research.