Gaps in Care Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the U.S.

Abstract

Adolescents and young adults face several challenges to their well-being as they move into adulthood and assume a larger role in navigating their health, health care, and health insurance. This study examines the gaps in care that may result in missed opportunities for health promotion and maintenance, early intervention, and acute and chronic care management. This study used the 2022-2023 National Health Interview Survey data of individuals aged 10-25 years to understand which adolescent and young adult age groups (10-14, 15-18, and 19-25 years) experience gaps in care and which sociodemographic, health status, and healthcare access variables are associated with increased odds of care gaps. The analysis was conducted in 2025. More than 1 in 4 young adults experienced a gap in care of 1 or more years, a rate twice that of adolescents. Measures of healthcare access-namely, being uninsured and without a usual source of care-were predictive of gaps in care across all 3 age groups. The sociodemographic factors of citizenship, region, and poverty level were also associated with care gaps across all 3 age groups. Policymakers, payers, public agencies, and healthcare providers can play an important role in adolescent and young adult health. There should be increased attention to identifying and assisting adolescents and young adults with (and at risk for) lapses in coverage and care, prioritizing those without a medical home, transitioning from pediatric to adult care, losing childhood Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program eligibility status, and residing in states not expanding Medicaid.