Dependent Coverage Video Transcript

You may have heard that health care reform now requires health plans to cover dependent children up to age 26.

But not so fast.

It’s true the new requirement applies to dependent children up to age 26,

Regardless of whether they are married or single,

Regardless of whether they are dependents on their parents’ tax returns,

And regardless of whether they live with their parents or not.

But only those plans providing dependent coverage in the first place,

have to extend the coverage to age 26.

The requirement applies to all size markets, and to grandfathered and non-grandfathered plans alike.

But grandfathered plans don’t have to offer extended coverage to dependent children until 2014,

if those children are eligible for their own employer coverage.

Dependents who want to sign up for coverage, may need to do so during an open enrollment process.

Have more questions? Be sure to check out our Dependent Coverage web page.