Transitioning from foster care at age 18 and becoming an independent young adult can be very exciting and nerve wrecking. There are many significant responsibilities to manage and at times we forget, or don’t prioritize, the importance of obtaining or maintaining health insurance. Thankfully, there is now health insurance for former foster care youth known as Young Adult Transitional Insurance or YATI up to age 26.
Prior to YATI, there was minimal support for health insurance for former foster care youth. As a result, I aged out of foster care without health insurance, which caused a lot of financial and health obstacles for me. From the ages of 18-23, I was without health insurance and during that time I had a few medical emergencies that resulted in thousands of dollars in medical debt that took me several years to pay off. My story of being ineligible for health insurance as a former foster care child, before the implementation of YATI, is not unique. There were many other young adults who had aged out of care, became uninsured and were unable to seek regular or emergency medical attention without the fear of paying costly medical bills.
In 2014, health insurance for young adults who aged out of foster care in Arizona and are living in Arizona was extended to cover young people age 18-26. This was truly a win for current and former foster care youth in Arizona! We all know the importance of health insurance and that in order to thrive, perform well in our jobs and education and lead a happy family, we need be proactive and take care of our health.
Click to learn more about Young Adult Transitional Insurance and how you may be eligible!
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