Re: Keep your kids on your medical Insurance

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Very good advice. Also for those of you that have Healthy Kids Gold/Medicaid

they can stay on that until age 21. However, I don't have any idea what happens

after the age 21 as we have not reached that obstacle as of yet.

Heidi

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify the dependent insurance issue on employer-sponsored plans...

- Most employer-sponsored plans cover dependents up to the age of 23, 24, 25 (or

in some states even 26), but the child must be unmarried, IRS dependent on the

parents, AND a full-time student.  Some plans are more liberal and require

either financial dependency or full-time status, but not both.  However, those

plans are less common.  Most require IRS dependent and full-time student.

- If, however, your child is disabled, unmarried, and unable to perform

self-sustaining employment and therefore is dependent on the parents, it's

possible the child could stay on the plan indefinitely.  Many contracts have no

age limits for disabled children.  (I even saw a 70 year old working dad

covering his 50 year old disabled dependent child under his plan once!) 

However, you must NEVER allow a break in coverage.  It's not like full-time

student status where you can take the child off and on the plan, if they

start/stop school.  In most cases, the disabled child must be on the plan prior

to turning 18 and then must stay on the plan continuously.  That's the criticial

piece.  If the employer changes insurance companies, you must sign the child up

again immediately with the new carrier with no break.  If you decide to take the

over-age child off the plan for a year to save money and then try to put him/her

back on the next

year at open enrollment, your request will be denied.  In addition, the doctor

must fill out a form on a regular basis to confirm the ongoing disability.  The

frequency of the recertification process depends on underwriting and the

contract.  It may be every year, every three years, or even longer.  It just

depends.  Typically, the insurance company will notify you when the timeframe

for recertification is approaching, but it's always a good idea to contact the

insurance company annnually to confirm, since something could prevent the

recertification form from getting to you, like an old address, lost in the

mail, etc.  Recertification commonly takes place in the child's birthday

month.  Of course, contracts vary, so read the detail carefully and contact the

insurance company with any questions and make sure you have the exact contract

language for your reference.  This is a situation where it's very difficult to

" undo " mistakes, so

it's better to be safe than sorry.

(My expertise is with employer-sponsored plans.  Contracts for individual health

plans may be different.)