Health insurance coverage for college kids?

[leahjade]

I'm having trouble finding information as to what age college students are covered under a parent's plan. Is it different from state to state or under each company's plan? Also, I know the new law takes effect this fall with the age up to 26 - does anyone know when that takes effect? My college student will be out coverage for a few months, I'm afraid due a fall birthday. Is there anywhere I can get info on these facts and dates?

 

[christineann]

I believe that by law they can remain on your policy through age 26 as long as they are full time students. My daughter's college has to send my health ins. company a verification of enrollment once or twice a year. There was no break in the coverage between high school and college or over the summers.

 

[Christine]

I'm having trouble finding information as to what age college students are covered under a parent's plan. Is it different from state to state or under each company's plan? Also, I know the new law takes effect this fall with the age up to 26 - does anyone know when that takes effect? My college student will be out coverage for a few months, I'm afraid due a fall birthday. Is there anywhere I can get info on these facts and dates?

Currently, all plans vary.

My DD can stay on my plan until she's 22 provided she is enrolled in college full-time. If she is not in college, she is dropped at 19. If you contact your health carrier they will be able to tell you the specifics.

The new law, insuring all dependents until age 26, takes effect on a specific day;however, your insurance company does not have to put it into effect until the start of their new plan year. So, the federal government's plan year starts in January so government employees will be able to keep their older dependents on starting in January 2011. Our policy's plan year starts in March so that benefit won't start until March 2011 for us.

My DD turned 19 this past July and I got a letter about 2 weeks prior saying they were going to drop her unless I certified that she would be enrolled, full-time in college. I had to fill out some paperwork and send it to them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Do they still have to be enrolled full time in school to be covered for the new law?

Currently our insurance plan covers up to age 24 as a full time student.

 

[Christine]

Do they still have to be enrolled full time in school to be covered for the new law?

Currently our insurance plan covers up to age 24 as a full time student.

Once the new law starts for each plan year--no they won't. Even though the law goes into effect now (or is it September) the insurance companies don't have to do it until their new plan year starts.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Once the new law starts for each plan year--no they won't. Even though the law goes into effect now (or is it September) the insurance companies don't have to do it until their new plan year starts.

Will the insurance companies be able to change the conditions of the child on the policy if they are over 18?

I mean if they are not in school and you plan on covering them, are the insurance companies allowed to change the conditions of the coverage?

 

[bgirldeb]

It can also vary by state mandate. Your insurance company or state insurance board should have this info. New Jersey, for example mandates a dependent age of 30, I believe.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It can also vary by state mandate. Your insurance company or state insurance board should have this info. New Jersey, for example mandates a dependent age of 30, I believe.

Was that out of school coverage prior to the law that is going into effect?

Missouri was straight up 18.

I wish they did this sooner. My 19yodd could have gone to work for a year or so saving up money for college and getting some direction toward a career instead of going to college right away.

She has a repaired heart defect and she cannot risk being uninsured.

 

[daughtersrus]

It depends on your plan. Our insurance is "self funded" so the law doesn't go into effect until 9 months after the plan renews. I've tried calling the union office and no one there can/will give me the date that the plan renews. If it renews in Jan, the law won't go into effect until Sept 11 If it doesn't renew until July, the law for us won't go into effect until April 12.

My DD was able to continue with insurance through the university after she graduated in Dec. That plan went until May. She then had to purchase a short term policy that would take her until this Sept when the coverage from the school district that she's teaching in starts.

My other DD is 19yo and still in school so the law will be in effect by the time that she graduates.

 

[kidzmom3]

Its not just until 26 with no conditions. You have to claim them on your taxes and prove that you provide at least 50% of their support

 

[DebbieB]

My company has already revised our plan to include students up to age 26.

 

[Mimi1965]

All plans are different.
One company DH worked for offered Coverage for employee only-we all (me and college kids)had to have individual policies thru Blue Cross.

 

[mamacatnv]

Its not just until 26 with no conditions. You have to claim them on your taxes and prove that you provide at least 50% of their support

The new regs state they can be married, do not need to live with your or be a student. Not sure about the dependent status but the impression my insurance broker has is that dependent status is not required, my CPA concurs.


OP your college student will be out of plan why?????
Even if they "age out" of their parents current plan they are usually eligible for COBRA for 18 months following them no longer being age eligible.

The new law takes effect on Sept. 23, 2010 I believe and there is a lot of confusion and interpretation issues regarding which plans qualify, which ones can wait and which ones are "grandfathered" in. Confusing beyond belief, I know I am an HR chick in charge of benefits.

The best answer is to call your benefit provider directly. What we are seeing happen is the insurance companies are extending coverage to age 26 effective immediately because the rules are so murky.

 

[tvguy]

Its not just until 26 with no conditions. You have to claim them on your taxes and prove that you provide at least 50% of their support

No. Obamacare eliminates the dependency and support requirement, which is what has a lot of insurance companies scrambling.

 

[PatsMom]

My understanding of the new law was that you had to be able to claim the young adult as a dependent on your tax return for them to continue to be eligible for coverage to age 26.

Our insurance plan is self funded so they don't have to provide coverage after age 18 at all but they currently do to age 21 as long as she is a full time student. And the new federal law will allow us to keep her to 26 since the whole self funded thing will go away. We expect her to be a tax dependent until she is done school but her senior year might be an issue with that requirement.

Although if we do the math what it is costing us to insure her is about the same price as what it would cost to buy the plan offered through the college. And since our insurance is through a pension plan, we can't even do pre-tax premiums. And when the new law takes effect, even less of the after tax premium will be tax deductible because of the new threshold for deductibility.

And the state insurance commissioners are still talking about challenging the federal mandate I believe. So we plan for the worst.

 

[Christine]

Found this:

It used to be that kids were removed from their parents' health care insurance once they turned age 19. Coverage could be extended until age 23 if the child was a full time college student, but by the time most students graduated from college they found themselves without coverage unless they had a job with benefits.

However, a recent change announced by the White House now allows adult children to remain on their parents' plan until they are age 26. Under the new rules, insurance plans must offer coverage for plan participant's children up to the age of 26 and there is no requirement that the child has to live with their parents or attend college or even be a dependent -- they can even be married and still qualify for coverage. The only people who wouldn't be eligible for coverage would be those who work at a job where health care insurance is available. In that circumstance, the adult child would be expected to obtain coverage through their employer. In total, this change is expected to result in 1.2 million people gaining access to coverage.
So, who will bear the cost of this important coverage? All participants who currently have family insurance plans. Estimates vary, but the cost for family plans are expected to rise by about 1 percent.

Technically, this change applies only to new plans that begin after September 23rd of this year, but many insurance companies have voluntarily agreed to provide coverage right away (and not wait until September or January 2011 when plans typically renew their coverage).

Plans must provide a 30 day window for the adult children to enroll in their parents' plan so if you want to add your children to your policy, be sure to keep your eyes open for the opportunity. If you aren't sure whether your current plan covers adult children immediately or imposes some restrictions, check with your benefits department or plan administrator.

 

[PatsMom]

Christine, do you have a source? I'd like to check it out, especially if it was a news story from soon after the reform law passed - there was a lot of inaccurate stuff going around.

 

[Nancy]

It can also vary by state mandate. Your insurance company or state insurance board should have this info. New Jersey, for example mandates a dependent age of 30, I believe.

If the plan is self funded they do not have to follow state mandates only federal mandates.


The new law takes effect on 9/23. For current plans that means it will be in effect at the start of the plan year.

There are a lot of little quirks to the law though so the best thing is to call your carrier.

 

[Christine]

Christine, do you have a source? I'd like to check it out, especially if it was a news story from soon after the reform law passed - there was a lot of inaccurate stuff going around.

http://www.boston.com/business/pers...urmoney/archives/2010/05/health_care_cov.html

May 2010 was the date of the article so it's probably okay.

 

[Nancy]

Christine, do you have a source? I'd like to check it out, especially if it was a news story from soon after the reform law passed - there was a lot of inaccurate stuff going around.

that is accurate. I work in insurance and it is correct.