Among young adults, health care use and cost increase with age. As States consider expanding Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) to cover parents in addition to children, the age distribution of potentially eligible parents is thus a relevant issue, because it will affect the likely cost of any expansion.

Regularly published survey data document that young adults are less likely to have employment-based health insurance and more likely to be uninsured than older adults. Moreover, younger workers are less likely to be offered employment-based health insurance, and less likely to enroll when coverage is offered. Thus, the age distribution of potentially eligible parents may affect how policy makers think about the interface between employment-based health insurance and expanded public coverage for parents.