Employed college grad staying on parents' health insurance?

Parent Cafe
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<p>^Personally, I believe people should be charged based upon their utilization of health care services. If you consume a lot of health care resources, regardless of your health status or risk factors, you pay a higher premium. Just like auto insurance. Have no accidents, your rates remain low. Have an accident or get a ticket, your rates increase.</p>

42

<p>Except with health care, that is a rough call. It is one thing to have hypertension due to an unhealthy lifestyle. It is quite another to have cancer or to have a child with health issues.</p>

43

<p>We may at some point have DNA testing upon hiring to weed out workers who may develop problems down the road :p</p>

<p>I like the cafeteria style of benefits myself, & allowing people to use incentives to lower costs if they quit smoking or use the gym.</p>

<p>Perhaps also charge those people more who expect an antibiotic when they have a cold…
But we also allow those who are contagious to stay home when they are sick.</p>

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<p>I recently brought both of my employed children back into my insurance plan, after finding out that my employer’s contract with Aetna allows this until age 26. I pay a small fortune myself as it is, so why not let them save some?</p>

<p>If at any time your own insurance rejects the children, they can always go back to their own employment plan, without waiting for " Open Enrollment" as that would constitute a life-changing event. (Marriage, birth, death, divorce and loss of coverage all count for life-changing events and allow you access during the rest of the year)</p>

45

<p>I agree. I am thrilled to be able to have my D on our insurance.</p>

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<p>Every year when we reapply to keep our daughter on our insurance plan, we have to sign an acknowledgement that we will immediately contact the insurance plan if she is offered health insurance by her employer. At that point she will be terminated from our coverage.</p>

<p>We are squirming about this because her current employer wants to offer catastrophic coverage only. That would be enough to bump her from our insurance and leave her uncovered for her sleep apnea, asthma, thyroid and polycystic ovaries - leaving her with huge medical expenses.</p>

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<p>Momlive- that is the ultimate lottery for many people have done nothing unhealthy and are hit hard by serious illnesses.</p>

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<p>kkmama-your post sends shivers down my spine. I guess I hadn’t really considered this scenario. Seems as if the employer offered insurance should be essentially “equivalent” in order to force you to remove your child from your insurance plan. I have a child with extensive medical needs and this would be one of my worst nightmares. With insurance costs and this economy, I can definitely see more and more employers offering skeleton/catastrophic only coverage.</p>

49

<p>H’s insurer fortunately covers our kids until they turn 26–have asked them & they clarified that the DO cover our kids until they get married, whether or not they are employed and offered insurance from their employers/jobs.</p>

<p>This started 1/1/2011 (we had to get S covered after he aged out at 22 & after his school insurance ended). It is indeed a hassle and worse for many people so we are very glad S is able to be covered by H’s policy. If S decided to get insurance, it would be primary. He has decided not to pay premiums and let him be covered under H’s policy. It’s fine with us–makes him happy.</p>

50

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I would just note that the answer to this is that the parents are already paying for this coverage, and will continue to do so because they have another child. I suppose it might be reasonable to ask an employed child to kick in some $$$ to cover his share of the coverage.</p>

51

<p>The mere fact that we are having these convoluted discussions shows how counterproductive it is for our nation to continue the insurance company system of healthcare payment.</p>

<p>It is not our HEALTHCARE that is the problem, it is our HEALTHCARE PAYMENT system.</p>

52

<p>Another example of stupidity we have to put up with.</p>

<p>My healthcare coverage, which is excellent, is re-bid by my employer every year. I appreciate that they work to get the best deal at the most economical cost. However, the result is that most years I get a new company, new card, new rules, new co-pays, etc.</p>

<p>This has been going on for so long, that sometimes I get to the check-in counter and I can’t remember who my current coverage is with. Coventry? United Healthcare? Mercy? Is this the right card?</p>

<p>The doctor’s office has to slog through oceans of paperwork to keep all this crap straight. It is absolutely insane. And it has NOTHING to do with healthcare.</p>

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<p>thank you skyhook…same as i said!!</p>

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<p>I agree. Honestly, if your company did not re-bid every year, the cost of their health care would probably be outrageous. As I mentioned, I am astonished by the cost … and the annual increases.</p>

55

<p>My nephew owns his orthopedics practice. He bought it when he left the military after twenty years. He hates the necessity of billing. He spends 25% of his time on billing.</p>

<p>Why on earth would we take a highly trained professional and waste 25% of their time working outside their area of expertise?</p>

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<p>It’s our jobs creation program … trying to create jobs for billers! :)</p>

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<p>H talked to his benefits department today, then sent the following email to S:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>So I guess my husband’s plan is grandfathered.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the input, this has been an enlightening experience!</p>

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<p>Well, I did talk to our insurer and he confirmed that S IS covered under H’s plan, no matter what he is offered through his employer. We’re grateful for that & I guess S saw no reason to get his own policy & pay his own premiums. H’s policy is pretty good & a BC/BS that is quite comprehensive. S promised he will get coverage before he ages out from H’s policy.
D is just grateful that she won’t have to worry about health insurance from her job “for a while.”</p>

59

<p>Thanks for the update Lafalum. </p>

<p>Seems like everyone should check carefully with their own insurance companies to make sure whether their kids can stay on the parent plan if/when they have jobs that offer insurance.</p>

60

<p>Here are two excellent links regarding this subject:</p>

<p>[Young</a> Adult Coverage | HealthCare.gov](<a href=“http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/young-adult-coverage/index.html]Young”>http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/young-adult-coverage/index.html)</p>

<p>[Frequently</a> Asked Questions regarding Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act](<a href=“http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-dependentcoverage.html]Frequently”>http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-dependentcoverage.html)</p>

<p>It looks like I was right in the first place … even grandfathered plans have to start covering up to 26 regardless of other options in 2014: <a href=“http://www.shuttleworthlaw.com/documents/newsletters/SI_Health_Care_Reform_Client_Update_3E729B82CBC0A.pdf[/url]”>http://www.shuttleworthlaw.com/documents/newsletters/SI_Health_Care_Reform_Client_Update_3E729B82CBC0A.pdf&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Hope this helps!</p>