Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Healthcare premiums in the United States have recently increased with one of the primary contributing factors being lower rates of newly insured millennials than needed to stabilize the ACA marketplace. This study will utilize the health belief model to explore how millennials’ perceptions about health insurance influence their health insurance status. The model will include the following constructs: perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, modifying factors, cues to action, and self-efficacy. The results of the study will indicate which of these constructs have a relationship with the acquisition of health insurance This study will be conducted using web-based surveys with Texas, Florida and New York residents aged 19-35. The purpose of this study is to use the results in a manner that will help to inform policy on how to increase access to healthcare for millennials, and thereby decreasing health insurance premiums by saturating the market with younger, healthier individuals. The results of this study will help to inform policy makers on what perceptions are most likely to motivate millennials to acquire health insurance, thereby focusing outreach efforts in one or more of the health belief model constructs this is most likely to influence millennials acquiring health insurance.