•HRES 860 IH 
as having or being at increased risk for chronic physical, 
developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions; 
Whereas, between 2011 and 2017, approximately 4,500,000 
youth in the United States with special health care needs 
transitioned from pediatric care to adult health care; 
Whereas while definitions of ‘‘young adult’’ vary, many schol-
ars consider individuals aged 18 to 34 to be young 
adults; 
Whereas a 2015 National Academies report stated that 
young adults are a distinct population from adolescents 
and older adults, and will benefit from targeted studies, 
research, policies, and programs; 
Whereas proactive and preventive care for young adults living 
with chronic conditions is essential for improving their 
health and quality of life, and for reducing the overall 
cost of care; 
Whereas medical research has demonstrated the need for a 
holistic lifespan approach to chronic disease management 
that integrates physical, mental, and behavioral health; 
Whereas former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, 
speaking about adolescents and young people with chron-
ic conditions in 1989, presciently warned of the ‘‘barriers 
they encounter and must surmount if they are to secure 
ongoing quality medical care as they make the transition 
from childhood to adulthood’’; 
Whereas the United States health care system often does not 
adequately address the unique needs of young adults with 
chronic conditions, and too often they remain a largely 
invisible population in research and policymaking; 
Whereas a 2015 National Academies report found that ‘‘the 
transition from pediatric to adult providers is confusing 
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•HRES 860 IH 
and difficult, especially for those with behavioral health 
problems or a chronic condition’’, and that the challenges 
include a lack of training in childhood-onset conditions 
among adult providers, poor communication between 
child and adult providers and systems of care, and dis-
continuities in care; 
Whereas the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine has 
found that young adults with chronic conditions who be-
long to marginalized groups are less likely to experience 
a successful transition to the adult health care system, 
including youth emerging from the foster care system or 
the juvenile justice system, youth of color, and youth 
from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds; 
Whereas young adults are the age group in the United States 
least likely to have health insurance, with 2022 Census 
data indicating that 14 percent of young adults ages 19 
to 25 are uninsured and 12.5 percent of young adults 
ages 26 to 34 are uninsured; 
Whereas young adults with chronic conditions sometimes 
struggle to find institutional support for their conditions 
in educational settings and in the workplace; 
Whereas the mental health crisis among young people has be-
come more severe since the onset of the COVID–19 pan-
demic, with approximately one-third of young adults liv-
ing with mental illness, and young adults with chronic 
conditions are at higher risk of secondary mental health 
conditions; 
Whereas young adults with chronic conditions who do not re-
ceive high-quality, appropriate care are at risk for poor 
health outcomes and missing important social, edu-
cational, and economic milestones; 
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•HRES 860 IH 
Whereas young adults who have chronic conditions are at 
higher risk of mortality from their illness and from men-
tal health conditions, and national data, studies, and pol-
icy action are urgently needed in this area; and 
Whereas when young adults with chronic conditions face bar-
riers to fulfilling their full potential, it has harmful con-
sequences for our whole society: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports efforts to increase awareness of 
the unique challenges faced by young adults strug-
gling with chronic conditions in the United States; 
(2) reaffirms the importance of research and 
interagency data sharing on the population of young 
adults who have chronic conditions; and 
(3) recognizes the importance of improving 
quality of life, health care access, and higher edu-
cation and employment outcomes for all young 
adults with chronic conditions. 
Æ 
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