Young adults, cancer, health insurance, socioeconomic status, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Abstract

The lack of health insurance in young adults in the United States explains much of the delay in the diagnosis of, and more advanced cancer in, this age group compared with younger and older persons. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act should begin to rectify the disparity as evidenced by the 2.5-million increase in the number of individuals aged 19 years to 25 years covered by health insurance since passage of the Act in September 2010. Copyright © 2012 American Cancer Society.