Here's another reason why we need portable, personally-owned health insurance and the attitude of a smart shopper: The country's structural emphasis (laws, the tax code, attitudes) on employer-arranged health insurance is contributing to the infantalization of America.

Perhaps "infants" is too strong a word? OK. How about "extended adolescence," a trend observed by USA Today four years ago? Some adults in their 20s--backed up by some academic types--argue that it takes longer to become an adult now than it used to. So they live at home and otherwise depend on the parents.

What does this have to do with health insurance? Consider an article from this morning's Wall Street Journal. The headline is "Graduates Get Creative To Find Health Coverage." In the economic slowdown, it's harder for the least employable (new college graduates) to find jobs with companies that provide some compensation through insurance premiums.

So what's a new college graduate to do? Act like a child.

Among the tactics mentioned in the article:

• Depend on slacker mandates; Under New Jersey law, children can remain on their parent's policies until the age of 30. In several states, the level is "only" age 25.
• Commit academic fraud. Sign up as a full-time "student" at a community college (where tuition is low) but never set foot in the classroom. It can be a way of remaining a "full-time" student. (This may be a one-term measure, though).
• A higher-priced option, but one that still relies on parental strings, is to use COBRA to purchase based on the parent's policies.

I can't fault the people in the article for taking advantage of what the law makes available to them. But it's a sad sight nonetheless.

On the bright side, some twenty-somethings are finding other ways of getting insurance, including:

• Buy into a plan arranged by the alumni association.
• Buy (short-term) insurance policy such as BlueCross Tonik.
• Shop for a plan on eHealthInsurance.com.

The article also mentions, in passing, the problem of job lock, which reduces personal satisfaction and national productivity.

That's the way that most of us deal with the question of "How do I get insurance?"

It's time to address all of these problems by ending the discrimination against personally purchased and owned insurance policies.

It's time to grow up.