Just saw the CNN report on 13 million uninsured 20-somethings in this country. New to the job force and turning down their health insurance.

What are they thinking?!?! Do they believe that they can just go out and buy what they need in terms of medical goods and services on the free market? Good grief! This is America for goodness sakes.

So what are they doing in lieu of buying insurance?

Radical things like minding their health– watching what they eat, working out, bundling up before they go out in the cold, washing their hands (oh, these kids – they’re like modern day hippies shunning the norms of society).

They go to the doctor only when absolutely necessary instead of for every little ache and pain. They go to retail clinics (like Minute Clinic and The Little Clinic) where they know the costs BEFORE they buy (oh my, what are these kids coming to wanting to know the price before they blindly incur the expense). They look things up on the internet (It may be MY chronic disease but shouldn’t the doctor know more about it than me? He treats it, and I only live with it…every single day of my life).

But why should these 13 million have insurance? In case something happens.

Hellooooo – they’re 20-somethings and invincible.

But seriously, why should they? Because it underwrites the rates of the older portion of the population. If they don’t get healthcare, they don’t offset the risk pool – they don’t underwrite the older segment of the population. And we know what that means – our rates will go up because they aren’t contributing monetarily (and taking less out than they put in) as we expect them to do.

But we can still get them. In New Jersey, children can stay on their parents insurance to age 30! Thirty!!!! In many other states it’s only 24 or so.

So now I’ll set aside the sarcasm.

What we are seeing is the revolution. The new generation is taking a stand. We have a product – health insurance – AND THEY ARE NOT BUYING! The business world should get the message here. These folks are going to opt for surgery overseas, retail clinics and internet consults. They are going to cost shop prescriptions and doctors. They are going to demand affordable access to care and they are going to want to know the price AHEAD of time. And they are going to return health insurance to truly being insurance – a safety net for catastrophic situations instead of the all you can eat buffet for $20 we have bad for soooo long – too long.

Do NOT think that it is the sage old regime of healthcare executives and politicos in D.C. who are going to change healthcare. It is the 20-somethings. They alone are able to break out of the old ways of thinking. It has been that way generation after generation. THEY have the new ideas. THEY are taking a more rational approach. They are getting organized and THEY are not content to go along with the system as it has been.

Yes, they are 13 million without health insurance…and growing. THEY will change healthcare.

change:healthcare CEO Christopher Parks is this months “You Ask It” expert on SHOUTAmerica.

What is “You Ask It”??  Well it’s an online interactive forum where you can submit questions to leading healthcare experts.

So if you are confused about your health insurance, curious about the changing face of the health care industry, wondering about consumer directed health plan and transparency… Christopher has the answer.

Unleash his knowledge at http://www.shoutamerica.com/content/get-involved/you-ask-it and get involved in the discussion!

The SHOUTAmerica Conference was a huge success!  About 100 student n leader, presenting almost a million students across the country, attended the conference to hear CEOs, Senators, House Reps and health care educators speak about the current healthcare crisis.  By the end of the conference once puzzled students emerged engaged and ready to make a difference!

The new LiveBlog on the SHOUTAmerica documents the conference, student sentiments, and speakers.

Check out Christoper in Part 3.

SHOUTAmerica has partnered with change:healthcare inc. to address consumerism and transparency…  both part of the current healthcare crisis and debate.

Download the press release.

In recent months, as the days pass and the election approaches, the future of our healthcare systems seems less and less stable.

In researching new developments in healthcare reform and activism, I came across a “haunting” video while exploring a new site geared toward engaging individuals in sustainable solutions to the impending healthcare crisis - SHOUTAmerica.

By haunting, I mean honest and accurate in that is paints the dark picture of our healthcare future.  Check it out.

The point of the video is not to be haunting but rather motivational.  I walked away from it thinking… if we do not start to consider our personal healthcare decisions (at the very least) we are allowing healthcare to control our country’s economic path and future. [Scary thought.]

On top of the video, SHOUTAmerica has a lot to offer. Community, awareness, action, education. In the first blog post Times are Changing, So Should Healthcare the author says “My interest in our cause runs especially deep… Upon my graduation from a top 20 university, I found myself too old to remain under the insurance of my parents and too easy to ignore the gravity of not having it… I have come across countless stories detailing the difficulties healthcare expenses bring to bear on millions of Americans and their families. But while it is important to sympathize with their plight, we must now also turn our focus to action… The long-term interest of this country is dependent upon comprehensive healthcare reform that has remained elusive now for decades, usually dying on the table on Capitol Hill.”

The more we can share and spread this type of sentiment, the sooner we will see change.  Unfortunately, this type of passion (displayed above) is not wide spread or at least those that feel this passionately have yet to unite.

To those that feel passionately about healthcare reform - Get involved!  I think that SHOUTAmerica will provide the much needed platform for unity.