<p>I will try but you can ask these same questions to your OIC. </p>
<p>"Questions? (Opie, I would really appreciate your comments.)
- If my son works after graduation, and then returns to full-time grad school, can he be added back onto our family insurance plan (assuming he has not reached the maximum age)?"</p>
<p>Are you talking about a summer job before starting grad school? If so, no need to drop as this is normal. You may have to show proof of enrollement to carrier. provided your plan covers till older ages. </p>
<p>If you are talking taking a couple years off to work and off your income taxes as a dependent? I don’t think you can add him back in at that point, but here’s where you need to check with your OIC. they can definatively tell you your state’s laws to this situation. I honestly don’t know and I would call my OIC to ask if this senario popped up. That’s an interesting situation. can a child come back as a dependent after being on their own? I may have to get back on that one. </p>
<p>“2. Does an individual need to be covered by a plan for a minimum time to qualify for COBRA?”</p>
<p>"A qualified beneficiary generally is an individual covered by a group health plan on the day before a qualifying event who is either an employee, the employee’s spouse, or an employee’s dependent child. "</p>
<p>from the department of labor. </p>
<p>I was going to say at least one billing (month) but this appears to be 24 hours. </p>
<p>I also need to add from my eariler post on a cobra eligeble group 20 or more working on at least 50% of the normal workdays in the past year. </p>
<p>“3. Should I encourage my son to go directly onto grad school so that he will be covered continuously by my husband’s insurance (or mine if I pick it up)?”</p>
<p>I can’t really answer that, because there’s more to this than just health insurance involved in this decision. It should be part of the decision tree to go or postpone though. </p>
<p>Check with your state’s rules and see if they have at least a high risk pool at worst. He might pay more than a young kid would, but he’d have coverage. The big fear should be no coverage, not necessary one that costs 30% more.
Check and see what your state offers. It may not be terrible. </p>
<p>“4. If he is on our insurance until the end of 2009 (year he turns 24), but he is not yet out of school, and if COBRA is not an option, then what are his coverage options? Student insurance through the school until he is employed?”</p>
<p>You might have several, look at see if he can convert into an individual policy. Look into buying an individual policy and hold until pre-ex runs out. In my state pre -ex only lasts 12 months, then it’s regular coverage. Does your state have a portability clause? I think you’ll find your best answers from the OIC.</p>