California Law SB 1168

Effective Jan. 1, 2009, California law SB 1168 forbids the termination of health insurance for dependent students covered by their parent's health insurance plan during an interruption in the school year or a medical leave of absence.

Eligibility

• Eligible students must be 18 years or older, covered under their parent's health insurance and taking a medical leave of absence.

Types

• California SB 1168 applies to all commercial health insurance plans. This includes HMOs, POSs and PPOs. This does not apply to Medicare and Medi-Cal as they do not provide medical coverage for dependent students.

Time Frame

• The period of coverage begins the first day of the medical leave from school or the date provided by a medical practitioner. The duration of coverage lasts 12 months or until the coverage under the plan terminates, whichever comes first. If the plan changes during the leave, the student's coverage continues under the new plan for the remainder of the eligible leave. Documentation from a medical provider is required as verification.