Young adults ages 19-20 are one of the highest non-insured segment of the population in health care coverage. They have graduated and are not covered as students, they have no job pr a low-paying job that offers no health care coverage, they think they are invincible, or they are no longer covered by their parents’ health care insurance. The option is usually to buy an individual policy or go with out, but those are both expensive options.
Now states are responding to this need. Many states are allowing parents to insure their adult children on their own policy, a much cheaper option. Now parents, if they already have covered their dependents, can extend that coverage until their adult child is in his/her mid 20s, sometimes up to 30, depending on the state. Usually the adult child must work or reside in the state where the coverage is allowed, be single, and not eligible for any other coverage. They need not be living at home and may or may not be a student. New York, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois, and Washington are among the 20+ states that have legislated this extended coverage.
Check with your state’s insurance commissioner or with your employer’s human resource department to see if this opportunity is available to you.