Question about health insurance for adult child

[sherry7]

I'm looking for some info here please, since I'm getting different answers on this question so far.

My DS is 24 yrs old (lives at home), and we carry him on DH's medical insurance at no additional charge. DS just started a new job today, and after 30 days, he will become eligible for mediocre health insurance at a cost of $64 per month.

My sis-in-law told me that she still has her adult son on her own medical insurance, even though he's eligible for coverage at work. But, someone else told me that according to the new health care laws, the adult child cannot be covered on their parents policy if it can be bought through the child's workplace.

Does anyone here have any knowledge of this? Thanks.

 

[eggonzac]

I'm looking for some info here please, since I'm getting different answers on this question so far.

My DS is 24 yrs old (lives at home), and we carry him on DH's medical insurance at no additional charge. DS just started a new job today, and after 30 days, he will become eligible for mediocre health insurance at a cost of $64 per month.

My sis-in-law told me that she still has her adult son on her own medical insurance, even though he's eligible for coverage at work. But, someone else told me that according to the new health care laws, the adult child cannot be covered on their parents policy if it can be bought through the child's workplace.

Does anyone here have any knowledge of this? Thanks.

Yes that is correct. The new Affordable Care Act allows you to keep your adult child until age 26. Doesn't matter if he has a job or is in school, etc. If it's no additional cost to you and it's better insurance, I would just keep him on your husband's until age 26.

 

[mguilford1]

My son is 22 and on our insurance it does cost us extra because we have to purchase the family plan instead of employee and spouse but it is much better insurance than he could ever get and it is $35 per week extra which is much less than he would have to pay! It use to be if he was offered insurance thru his own job he would be "kicked off" ours but now with the new law he can stay on ours until he is 26 if we want him to.

 

[Sew into Disney]

My daughter is 22 and married. I carry her on my insurance and she is also covered by her husbands insurance. I was told she can remain on my insurance until she is 26.

 

[sherry7]

Thanks for the info everyone! I knew that my fellow DIS'ers would know.

Just wondering though, did this change within the last year? At his previous job (he got laid off a few months ago), he was paying for his own coverage because our benefits coordinator told me that I wasn't allowed to cover him anymore. I hope he wasn't paying $29 a week then for nothing.

 

[mguilford1]

This is new. Part of "Obama Care" I think. I dont know anything about Obama Care nor do I want to debate it but I do like this part because at least my child has good affordable insurance instead of the "junk" he was going to have to pay a fortune for! He has no health issues but I hate to gamble with things like that and consider it money well spent!

 

[pat fan]

Just wondering though, did this change within the last year?

Yes, it is part of the ACA. My DS's are on our plan and it does not cost me extra. I have the single or family option, so if it's just DH & I or with the kids, doesn't matter. Costs the same. If it would cost me more, they would have to get their own plans, which one has a good option, the other doesn't. He is getting close though, 25 this spring, so he will have to be figuring that one out.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I am familiar with the new law that allows you to carry adult children, but I also know that more and more companies will not cover spouses if they have the option of being covered at their own place of employment. Anyone know if or when this will effect adult children as well.

 

[mguilford1]

My husband and I both work for large nationwide companies and I have not heard anything about either place dropping coverage on spouses if they can be covered elsewhere. Maybe this is in smaller businesses?

 

[Sew into Disney]

I don't think it is that new. My daughter was married in July of 2012. When I called my work to have her take off my insurance they told me I didn't have to. Her husband had her put on his insurance the next month. She has been double covered since August of 2012.

It doesn't cost me anything extra to keep her on my insurance as I am paying for my other kids.

 

[mguilford1]

Some companies started the adult child policy before the law actually took effect . I was able to have my son on my insurance in 2012 but not on my husbands, so we went with my insurance. In 2013 my husbands insurance allowed the adult children so we switched back to his because it was better insurance. We both have BCBS for insurance choices. Mine is much cheaper per week but doesnt cover as much as my husbands, so we choose to pay the higher price for better coverage.

 

[supersnoop]

My husband and I both work for large nationwide companies and I have not heard anything about either place dropping coverage on spouses if they can be covered elsewhere. Maybe this is in smaller businesses?

I work for a large Fortune 500 company. If my wife was offered insurance through her employer, but we chose to keep her on mine, I'd be charged an extra $1,500 per year for the privilege. It's been the policy where I work for at least 4 years.

 

[mguilford1]

I work for a large Fortune 500 company. If my wife was offered insurance through her employer, but we chose to keep her on mine, I'd be charged an extra $1,500 per year for the privilege. It's been the policy where I work for at least 4 years.

I have to pay "extra" for my coverage it is not free. Is this what you mean or do you actually pay to have her covered plus a $1500. "extra charge". If it is the later I guess I should be thankful that neither of our companies do this.

 

[supersnoop]

I have to pay "extra" for my coverage it is not free. Is this what you mean or do you actually pay to have her covered plus a $1500. "extra charge". If it is the later I guess I should be thankful that neither of our companies do this.

Correct, it's an extra $1,500 penalty for choosing spousal coverage when the spouse declines an available employer plan.

 

[MichiganKris]

I also work for a large company and we have a spousal penalty if the spouse is employed and can get insurance through that employer. The penalty is $100 per month on top of the insurance premium. This has been the case for quite a few years.

 

[Jeff_G]

I work for a major fortune 500 company and if my spouse is offered health insurance of any kind from their employer and the employer pays for 1/2 or more of the insurance costs they must take it.

The penalty for having your spouse insured when their employer offer insurance can be, repayment of all insurance benefits paid, loss of insurance benefits, and or termination of employment!

 

[mguilford1]

WOW. We really need to be thankful for the coverage we have! I would hate to think that I would have to have an inferior insurance than my Husband just because my workplace offered me something.. Where I am now the insurance isnt that different, but previously my choices and costs were terrible!

 

[jmsaj]

My husband and I both work for large nationwide companies and I have not heard anything about either place dropping coverage on spouses if they can be covered elsewhere. Maybe this is in smaller businesses?

I work for a large Home Improvement store and we cannot have spouses on if they have coverage with their own company and on the flipside, my husband company does not allow spouses to be covered unless they pay a spousal charge of $150 per month plus cost of insurance. (which is still cheaper than paying for my employment coverage cost)

 

[bdcp]

My DH works for a Fed Gov contractor with about 1500 employees. His company pays 100% of our health, dental and vision insurance. I am a Federal employee and I don't take out insurance because of that. If they started denying me coverage because I have a job, it would cost me probably around $300/month. I'm part time (32 hr/week) so I would actually have to pay more for my insurance than a full-time employee would (Gov would pay a lower portion). It would actually be cheaper for us to pay a $1500 penalty than for me to take out insurance for myself.

As for "kids" up to age 27 being on parents insurance, sorry but 27 aren't kids. I personally think it's added more problems than it's solved. My DS (27) has insurance through his company and has since he started working full time after college. His deductibles are high with his new company, but it's really catastrophic coverage which is all he needs. He has no pre-existing. His wife, also 27, has COBRA because when DS changed jobs, the insurance he had was much better than his current and she does have pre-existing. My oldest DS (30) has been off our insurance since he graduated college and he took a catastrophic plan for 3 months til he started with his current company that has good coverage, but he paid for it, not us. I'd much rather see insurance reform and tort reform that what's headed our way.

 

[JessM]

I'm 24 years old and I'm still on my parents health care even though I'm eligible for healthcare through my job (been there over 2 years) so I don't think its that new. It doesn't cost my parents any extra and it would cost me $30 a month so I'm staying as long as I can. Pretty much all of my friends with younger siblings are still on their parents healthcare even though they could get there own. It just makes sense.