Last year, after my Millennial daughter started college in another state, I spent inordinate amounts of time talking to my health insurance provider to designate an out-of-state, in-network, primary care provider at the student health clinic. I also educated my daughter about the importance of using in-network providers to avoid exorbitant bills. She only visited her student clinic twice, but admitted that not understanding health insurance was the most stressful aspect of her first year.
She's not alone. According to Transamerica Center for Health Studies' (TCHS) executive director Hector De La Torre, many Millennials don't understand how health insurance works, where to apply for it or what their options are. A recent TCHS survey found that feeling uninformed about options is the biggest barrier to health insurance for uninsured Millennials, contributing to 11 percent going without.
