Murphy no help to young adults who need health insurance

Once again, Matt Murphy doesn't get it. Even as families with young adults in the "rich" Northwest suburbs are being hit with higher property taxes, higher fuel costs, higher college tuition, and ever skyrocketing health care costs, Sen. Murphy votes against a bill (HB 5285) that allows thousands of healthy young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance a little longer.

As the economy continues to drag, and job prospects for college grads are few, the last thing these kids should worry about is their health care. Illinois has no law that sets an age requirement for dependent coverage, so some insurance companies drop young adults at age 21 or after a few years of college. With passage of this bill, parents will have an option continue to provide their kids with health insurance coverage.

Not only does this provide health coverage protection for young adults as they transition from college to employment, it can add up to 300,000 healthy young people to the insurance pools at a low cost.

We are finally making some progress on reducing the number of uninsured or underinsured in this country, yet Matt Murphy would rather turn away from a win-win solution for so many.

I wonder if the $11,000 Mr. Murphy received in campaign contributions since January from insurance interests and lobbyists might have something to do with his decision. "Common sense-conservative?" More like "knows which side his bread is buttered on-conservative."

Rob Myers

Palatine