Dear HoG: Insurance Coverage for Young Adult Children

Horizons in Hemophilia, January 2011 

Dear HoG:
Recently, at an HoG family dinner, I spoke to someone who added her 24-year-old son to her insurance policy. Open enrollment at her job took place right after the changes in the healthcare law. She said it was easy for her to do. My 23-year-old son actually had insurance at his auto sales job, but he was laid off two weeks ago. I wonder if I should try to get him on my insurance plan? I don’t know if it’s possible since our open enrollment was months ago. He does not seem particularly worried about this situation, but I am! We know HoG has a program that gives factor to those who are uninsured, but I’m not sure he would qualify.
--Worried Mom

Dear Mom,
This is a great question and one that we hear more and more since some changes to the health insurance laws went into effect. The first phone call to make is to your HoG Social Worker, who can help you walk through the insurance world. You might discover that your son qualifies for extended insurance coverage through his former employer. The second call is to the benefits representative at your job. Your Social Worker can even participate in this conversation as a three-way call to help you get information. It is possible that your son’s job loss will allow you to add him to your plan outside of the enrollment period. You won’t know until you ask, and you might be happy with the answer you get.

Another great resource is the user-friendly website created to answer questions about the Affordable Care Act and what it means for your family: Go to www.healthcare.gov and be sure to pick your state before hitting “Go.” 

By the way, it’s not unusual that your son isn’t worried about being uninsured. It’s a time of life when thoughts about healthcare often are not high on the list of things to think about. But those who are aged 18 to 25 have often found themselves in the uninsured population after “dropping off” their parents’ health plans. When you have a bleeding disorder that is definitely not where you want to be. For the uninsured, an accident or health crisis could generate bills that are financially devastating. This is particularly true with a health challenge as serious and as expensive as hemophilia.   

Under the new Affordable Care Act, those covered under their parents’ policy might be able to remain covered up to age 26. Young adults do not need to live with their parents to be eligible for this coverage. However, there might be limits on this if a young person is employed by a company offering insurance benefits.

Regarding HoG’s uninsured program, state rules are strict about who can access this program. It is only for those Georgians who have no other options. Because your son most likely does have options, this program might not be able to assist him with factor. Again, call your HoG Social Worker, who will be happy to help you.