By: Michael Barone
An article in the New York Times examines the trend toward prolonged adolescence. It notes that an increasing percentage of people in their twenties are living with their parents, and that’s with pre-recession data; presumably it’s higher today. Also, “Adults between 18 and 34 received an average of $38,000 in cash and two years’ worth of full-time labor from their parents, or about 10 percent of their income,” with a link to this study.
All of which got me thinking about the much ballyhooed provision of the Obamacare bill that allows parents to include “children” up to age 26 in their family health insurance policies. This is said to be wildly popular among the Millennial Generation, those born after 1980.
I think it’s appalling, on several grounds: people aged 26 are not “children,” they for the most part don’t have substantial health care expenses (aside from pregnancies and births) and they should not be encouraged to remain dependent on parents for extended periods. In that spirit, let me suggest that the Obamacare bureaucrats, in order to hold down health care expenses, may have to set some terms and conditions for “children” aged 21 to 26 who remain on their parents’ health insurance policies.
Late night activities can result in increased rates of accidents and unplanned pregnancies, so they may be required to be home by 10:30 on weeknights and midnight on weekends. Extended periods of idleness and physical inactivity can promote obesity and attendant health care problems, so they may be required to do household chores including laundry, window washing, lawn mowing and cleaning out the garage.
Substantial alcohol consumption and tobacco use, not to mention the use of controlled substances, can cause expensive health care problems, so they may be required to submit to laws on alcohol and tobacco use otherwise applicable only to those under age 21. And given the concerns about brain damage from excessive cellphone use, they may be subject to limits on the number of minutes they can talk each day.
Hey, Millennials, if you want to sponge off mommy and daddy’s health insurance, you may be subject to kiddie rules. We are the change we are seeking, and all that.
21 to 26 is usually about the age that people get married. If they get married, I'm assuming they would have to get off their parents health insurance and pay their own. Would this in some twisted way encourage people to shack up and not get married??
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