Up to What Age Can You Carry Your Child on Insurance?

The predominant form of health care coverage in the United States is employer-sponsored plans. In this model, premiums are kept lower by companies providing insurers with large groups of clients (their employees) to distribute risk, and the employer pays part (by law, at least half, though sometimes more) of those premiums. Spouses and children up to a certain age are typically also covered, though the age cut-off has changed.

Prior to 2010

• Health benefit plans by employers up until 2010 usually covered the employee and offered optional upgrades that would cover spouse or spouse and children. "Children" refers to natural children, legally adopted children or those of a legal spouse. Most plans would cut off coverage to children at age 19 or extend coverage to age 24 if the child was a full-time college student.

Affordable Care Act of 2010

• On March 23, 2010, President Barrack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. Among other changes this altered the time-line for terminating coverage for employees' children. The reforms contained in this legislation become effective over a four-year time span. The specific provision relevant to continuing coverage of young adults took effect on Sept. 23, 2010. Health care plans must now offer continuing coverage until age 26, even if the dependent is not enrolled in college, is married, is financially independent and (usually) even if the dependent can obtain employer-sponsored coverage elsewhere.

Re-establishing Coverage

• There are individuals who aged-out of the pre-2010 system who are still entitled to coverage under the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. These people can be re-enrolled in the system during a period mandated by law. The act requires that insurers offer a period of 30 days in which still-eligible dependents can re-enroll. This period must begin no later than the first day of the new "plan year" or "policy year" occurring after Sept. 23, 2010.

Continuing Coverage Beyond 26

• According to the Affordable Care Act, insurers are not required to extend coverage beyond age 26. However, some insurers/employers do so on a voluntary basis. Even among those insurers who do not, an individual without pre-existing conditions may find their previous insurer offers good premium rates for an independent policy. It should also be noted that the changes to coverage only apply to employer-sponsored policies, and programs like Medicare are not affected by it.