The Obama administration seems to have taken a page out of the late night talk show playbook, because it's reportedly concerned about their own ratings in the 18-35 demographic. Less than 25 percent of the 2.2 million people who have signed up through HealthCare.gov are in the 18-35 age group, well short of the 38 to 40 percent goal that the feds hope to reach when the sign-up season ends March 31.
Several contractors interviewed by Government Technology, including Oracle, reported that being able to effectively market health-care exchanges to young people would be critical to the success of Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act.
Today, more than half of those signed up on HealthCare.gov are between the ages of 45 and 64, a group that is typically less healthy and more expensive to cover than younger groups, according to data released on Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The HHS reported, however, that they are confident that current trends are headed toward “an appropriate mix.” Others point out that a shrinking middle class in the American economy has many young people in a financial position where buying health insurance is viewed as a luxury they simply cannot afford.