During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama
contended that "already the Affordable Care Act is helping to
slow the growth of health care costs." Yet the costs of health
insurance continue to climb, a direct consequence of the
Affordable Care Act, and many uninsured Americans are likely to
remain that way. Health insurers are pushing double-digit
premium increases, some as high as 26 percent. Next year, when
the Affordable Care Act's requirement to have insurance takes
effect, premiums are expected to rise further, and many young
Americans will have to choose between buying health insurance or
paying a penalty. Although proponents of the law argue that
subsidies will entice younger people to buy insurance, it
actually is expected to have the inverse effect. Subsidies are
too small, and out-of-pocket costs for insurance are much
higher. For many young Americans, it makes more sense – although
it has negative impacts on the overall health care system – to
wait until they are very sick to purcha