Next steps in incremental health insurance expansions: who is most deserving?

President Clinton's proposal to allow near-elderly individuals--those between the ages of 55 and 64--to buy-in to Medicare is the latest initiative to expand health insurance coverage incrementally by targeting particular age groups. Health insurance expansions for children were passed last year, and assistance to young adults--those age 19 to 24--has also been discussed. The rationale for targeting individuals in these age groups is that they are presumed to be vulnerable. However, vulnerability to uninsurance includes not only the risk of being uninsured, but also the potential health and financial consequences that result from not having coverage, each of which varies substantially across age groups. This Issue Brief examines the vulnerability of the near-elderly and young adults with respect to uninsurance.