From what we see working with employers every day, many young employees view health insurance as “too expensive” or assume they’re mainly paying for someone else’s care. That reaction is understandable—but it’s also short-sighted, and it’s exactly where good benefits education can make a real difference.

Health insurance isn’t something you buy only when you expect to use it. It’s financial protection against high-cost, unexpected events—and younger adults are often the least able to absorb those shocks. Early-career employees typically have lower incomes, smaller emergency funds, and fewer assets to fall back on. One ER visit, accident, or sudden diagnosis can quickly become a major financial setback if they’re uninsured or underinsured. In our experience, the biggest risk for young adults isn’t “routine care costs,” it’s the outlier event they didn’t plan for.

This is also why the idea of “paying for other people” misses how insurance is designed to work. A benefits plan spreads risk across the group so that no single person is financially devastated by a serious medical event. When younger, healthier members participate, premiums tend to be more stable and coverage more sustainable for everyone—including the young employees themselves over time. In other words, participation helps keep the plan stronger, more predictable, and more affordable than it would be otherwise.

For employers, that means the opportunity isn’t just offering coverage—it’s helping employees understand the value of the protection they’re receiving. Clear communication around real-world scenarios (unexpected injuries, emergency surgery, mental health crises), plus easy decision tools (plan comparisons, cost estimators, “what happens if…” examples), can reframe insurance from “a monthly bill” to “a safety net.” And when employees make informed choices—especially early in their careers—they’re more likely to stay covered, use preventive services, and avoid costly delays in care.