Wednesday, Apr. 21, 2010

Coverage for Young Adults

Policy: Allows people up to the age of 26 to be insured by their parents' health insurance policies. Young adults constitute about one-third of the approximately 46 million uninsured Americans. (Several private insurers, including UnitedHealth, have said they will begin this immediately, though the requirement does not go into effect until September.)

Caveat: Young adults who could get insured through their own employers are not eligible, even if that other insurance provides less coverage or costs more. This will change in 2014, when all Americans under 26 will be able to get coverage through their parents, regardless of whether the young adults have their own access to health insurance through work.

TBD: Whether young adults who live in different homes or states than their parents will be eligible. Even if they are allowed to join their parents' policies, these young adults may not want to if their parents' plans only allow them access to a network of providers in a geographic area other than where they live.