On your parents’ health insurance? Worried about at what age you’ll get kicked off your parents’ health insurance? Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark Obama administration healthcare law, young adults are now able to stay on their parent’s health insurance plan until they turn 26. Before the ACA, age 19 was the cut-off when insurance companies kicked a person off their parent’s plan (though full-time students were allowed to stay on a little longer). For those with a 26th birthday coming up who are still on their parent’s health plan, there are a few things to know about exactly when your coverage is going to end. Show
Grab our free guide to getting Marketplace health coverage here. If your parent has ObamacareThe first thing to assess before you’re kicked off your parents’ health insurance is what kind of health insurance coverage your parents have. If they have a Marketplace plan, you’ll have until Dec. 31 of the year you turn 26 to keep that coverage. If you want new coverage for yourself through the Marketplace come Jan. 1, you’ll need to complete your enrollment during Open Enrollment Period. You will need to sign-up during Open Enrollment before the end of that calendar year. In most states, Open Enrollment ends on Dec. 15. If your parent has insurance through their employerIs your parent get insurance through their employer? Then your coverage will end on the last day of your birth month the year you turn 26. But there’s good news. If your coverage ends this way, you’ll qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. This is a special 60-day period outside of Open Enrollment when you can get a Marketplace plan of your own. You can compare prices and shop for a Health Insurance Marketplace plan here. To learn more about Special Enrollment Periods and how to sign-up for your own Obamacare plan, you can contact the HealthSherpa Consumer Advocate team at (872) 228-2549.
Updated on September 21st, 2021
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When you’re turning 26, health insurance immediately becomes more of a concern. The transition from being covered under a parent’s plan to finding coverage on your own can be quite daunting — or it can be reasonably easy, if you follow the advice here. If you’re turning 26 soon, or have parents who will qualify for Medicare before you turn 26, you will need to find your own health insurance coverage. To make the process easier, we created this guide to help you understand your numerous coverage options. When Am I No Longer Covered By My Parent’s Health Insurance?The exact time when your parent’s plan stops covering you will depend on how your parents get their health insurance. Do your parents have coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s government-run (Obamacare) Marketplace, or are they covered by a private plan at work?
What Happens When My Parent’s Plan Drops Me?Aging out of your parent’s plan makes you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period, so after turning 26 you will be able to sign up for your own plan within a specific 120-day period or during the year-end Open Enrollment Period. That particular Special Enrollment period begins 60 days before you’re dropped from your parent’s plan and ends 60 days after you lose coverage. To avoid a gap in coverage, play it safe by picking a plan before or during your birthday month. Make securing health insurance a birthday gift to yourself. You must sign up within the first 15 days of the month to have coverage kick in the following month. For example, if you need insurance starting December 1, you must enroll by November 15. If you enroll on November 16 or later, your coverage will skip a month and not start until January 1. Keep in mind that you cannot qualify for a Special Enrollment period if you voluntarily withdraw from your parent’s insurance plan, or if your parent(s) fail to pay their monthly insurance premiums and the insurance expires. I’m Turning 26 Soon: What Are My Coverage Options?
What if You Need Your Own Healthcare Before 26?You can buy an Obamacare plan before you turn 26, for example, if your parents choose to not allow you to enroll in their coverage. The ACA also offers an inexpensive but only bare catastrophic coverage for people under 26 seeking health insurance on their own. Fortunately, there are a number of resources for people between the ages of 18 and 25 to get health insurance. It will only take a little extra research to find a number of options. Aging Off Your Parents’ Plan: A RecapBefore the ACA, young people typically had few options for buying health insurance, but it’s different now. Before you turn 26, set aside some time to learn about full-coverage ACA plans and other options, including lower-cost but limited short-term insurance, assuming your state allows it. And always keep your enrollment deadlines in mind as you approach 26. With preparation, you can make aging out of your parents’ health insurance plan a lot less stressful and ultimately rewarding by enrolling in your own health plan.
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