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BTW, your assumption that these people can just be carried on their parents insurance is just screwed up. Most insurance companies will not carry one's children over 18 unless they are in college, and will not carry them after about 22 at all.
You are correct. I lost coverage at 21 when I graduated from college. I worked in retail until August that year (I lost coverage in May). For my parents to keep me on COBRA insurance was $400+ a month. Not in the budget. I didn't make that much in a week working in retail. And my parents were helping pay off my tuition, etc. so they were stretched very thin My dad worked overtime and mom worked! I had to wait 3 more months to qualify at my retail store for their crappy insurance policy. I received insurance the month I left (august) for a job in my field (would have been paying in 75-100 from each check on my part of the plan, plus outrageous deductibles once I actually used it). It was too little too late. My wisdom teeth needed to be removed and were on the verge of becoming infected.
I would have needed to pay $800 a tooth for the surgery and I needed all 4 out. (Not affordable considering I was about to make a move to a new state and was working at $9 an hour). I suffered all summer. And FINALLY got them out under my new employer's policy, which started on day one. I was VERY lucky. Not only to get decent coverage, but to even get a job in my field!
I have a lot of friends who graduated with me that still work in retail and restaurants. Some don't have coverage because their employers don't offer it and their parents insurance has since dropped them.
Sucks for everyone.
The minute you obtain that degree, you are dropped. You can continue paying but it is OUTRAGEOUS. And the job market is not promising for new graduates, especially in certain fields.