Young Adult Coverage until Age 26
Under the Affordable Care Act, if your health plan covers children, you can add or keep them on your policy until they turn 26 years old.
What This Means for You
Before the act was enacted, health plans could remove enrolled children at the age of 19, with some exceptions for full-time students. Now, most health plans that cover children must make coverage available to them until they turn 26. By allowing children to stay on their parents’ plan, the Affordable Care Act makes it easier and more affordable for young adults to get health coverage.
Adult children can join or remain on your health plan whether or not they are:
- married
- living with you
- in school
- financially dependent on you
- eligible to enroll in their employer’s plan. however, there is a temporary exception to this provision: Until 2014, “grandfathered” group plans are not required to offer dependent coverage up to age 26, if a young adult is eligible for group coverage outside your plan.
Some Important Details
- Health plans must provide a 30-day period to allow you to enroll your adult child. This window begins no later than the first day of your plan’s next calendar year, or “policy year”, that begins on or after September 23, 2010. Insurers must notify you of this enrollment opportunity in writing.
- If you enroll your adult child during this 30-day enrollment period, your plan must cover them from the first day of that plan year or policy year.
If you have any questions regarding the new measures in the Affordable Care Act and how they affect your coverage, please contact your MediCoverage Agent at (800) 930-7956
Comments and Questions
Click to leave a CommentComment from Kid Krock on November 18, 2011
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