New State Laws Requiring Continued Coverage for Young Adults on Mom & Dad's Health Insurance
According to yesterday's WSJ, a growing number of states are now requiring plans to increase the age of dependent children covered by health insurance plans. It used to be that eligibility for dependent children ended at 19, or sometimes 23 or so for full time college students. Some of these laws require coverage up to the age of 30. The reason - according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, adults between the ages of 19 and 34 are the fastest growing group of uninsured.
Here are some of the details:
- New Jersey - effective this Monday; a dependent may be covered until age 30, as long as he/she has no dependents.
- Colorado - effective in January, 2006; under certain conditions children can be covered to age 25 even if not enrolled in an educational institution
- New Mexico - Allows coverage to age 25
- Utah - Allows coverage to age 24
- Maine - a Bill is pending that would allow coverage to age 24 if the child has a mental or physical disability that prevents them from being enrolled in a post-secondary institution
- New Hampshire - Similar legislation as Maine is pending for children of any age who are mentally or physically incapable of earning a living.
