Many Young Adults Not Prepared to Manage Their Own Health Care

THURSDAY, July 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Many young adults may be entering adulthood without the skills needed to manage their own health care, according to the results of a survey released by the C.S. Mott Children”s Hospital National Poll on Children”s Health.

The analysis included responses from 1,550 parents with at least one child aged 18 to 25 years.

The poll found that 53 percent of parents rated themselves as excellent or very good in preparing their young adult child to be responsible for their own health and health care. More than half of parents (58 percent) say their young adult child handles at least four of six basic health care tasks themselves: communicates with providers during a visit (71 percent); follows the provider’s instructions after the visit (71 percent); arranges transportation to appointments (69 percent); provides insurance and family history information (56 percent); schedules appointments (52 percent); and decides when a health care visit is needed (49 percent). However, 17 percent say their child handles none of these tasks.

“Our report highlights an important transition that many families may not be fully preparing for,” Sarah Clark, Mott Poll codirector, said in a statement. “Turning 18 changes who is legally responsible for health care decisions, but health care independence doesn”t happen overnight. Young people need practice talking to providers, setting up appointments, learning about insurance and managing their own care.”

More Information