In general, young adults pay far less for their health insurance than middle aged or older adults. There are several reasons for this trend, most of which are based on the overall good health and vitality of younger adults.

Younger adults have a higher resistance to chronic illness than older adults. They also have a better ability to bounce back from a tough illness in a shorter period of time. This makes young adults less expensive to cover than older adults. Health insurance rates become higher or lower based on general statistics regarding personal health trends. Although every age group contains individuals who have chronic illnesses, young adults are the least likely to get sick and stay sick for a long time. Their bodies are strong enough to fight illnesses faster so that they are healthy more often than sick.

Being generally healthier, young adults make fewer health insurance claims because they visit doctors less frequently. A young adult is more likely to need to file an insurance claim for a broken bone or other type of injury than for a lingering illness. Older adults have weaker immune systems and are susceptible to illnesses that can last for months. Younger adults can fight off illness faster and keep it away longer because their immune systems are stronger. A reduced rate of doctor visits for young adults also leads to a reduced need for prescription medication, which also reduces their health insurance rates.

Many young adults are working for established businesses that provide good health insurance coverage. When you are insured through an employer, you have an opportunity to take advantage of group insurance rates that are less expensive than individual rates. If your company is made up primarily of other young adults with very few elderly employees, your insurance will be substantially less expensive. Older adults may not have the opportunity to take advantage of an insurance group that is made up of young adults. As the employee pool at a company ages, the health insurance policies become more expensive.

Many young adults today are waiting longer to begin families. That means that they are only purchasing health insurance for themselves the majority of the time. Older adults generally purchase health insurance for themselves and their families, which is more expensive than just covering a single individual. A young adult without any dependents will pay a substantially lower amount for health insurance than an older adult who needs to provide insurance for a spouse and children. Adding children to an insurance account can sometimes double or triple the premium because children, and particularly young children, visit the doctor more often.