Is My Child Still Insured?
My wife and I have 3 daughters, 2 from my previous marriage, one from my wife’s. My wife’s health insurance provider has hired an auditor to check the credentials of all it’s employees as far as educational status/support of stepchildren/children. My oldest (now a senior in high school) goes to school part time due to the fact that she only needs one more credit to graduate. The stipulations in the letter state that she must be a full time student. My daughter does a co-op program with her school in which she attends school 3 hours a day and then goes to her new job. Would she fall in the “full time” category even though she is not attending school the full 8 hours?
The wordage is kind of screwy in this letter. And why are these requirements put in place regardless if we meet the guidelines or not? Is this some new idea the insurance company has come up with to drop people to save a little dough? Once she reaches 19 she is no longer covered unless she is a full time student in college- according to the other guidelines set forth. Geesh, so does that mean that every child in America is going to college right out of high school, and if they don’t every parent has to get private health insurance to keep their kid safe? I would love to get health insurance through “my” employer but it’s much more expensive than my wife’s. Thank you ( my daughter is going to college btw)
As long as she’s under 19, she’s still covered, even if she flat out drops out. But that work/study program IS considered full time.
The requirements are in place, because for years, people have been lying to the insurance companies to get coverage for people that don’t qualify – adding boyfriends and telling the insurance company they’re married, or adding your brother’s kids to your policy, and telling the insurance company they are yours.
Blame all those people out there trying to pull a fast one off on the insurance companies.
It’s been going on for a few years. It’s not new.
A child does not have to go to college immediately after high school or obtain private health insurance. Many children get jobs at employers (notably Starbucks) that provide health insurance for all their employees. Parents do not have to pay for it. For example, although your wife is not in college, she has health insurance and her parents are not paying for it.
Your daughter will be covered until age 19 whether or not she is in school full time.
This is nothing new. It has been that way since the HMO act, sponsored by the late Teddy Kennedy, was put in place in the early 1970’s. It is a politicians idea, not the insurance company’s idea.
As long as the school determines that she is full time than it’s fine. Once your 18 your an adult which means go to college and stay on your parents insurance, or get a real job and get your own. This isn’t Europe!
Adjuster
The full time student clause applies to people age 19 to 21 who are attending college. If she is under 19 she is covered.
Adults have to get their own insurance, preferably through their employers, if available. This is why only full-time students can be covered under parent’s policy – they are still legally dependents.
Remember, children’s coverage (“family” coverage) is very heavily subsidized by charging far more per-person for singles. Yet singles hardly ever use their insurance, and parents with children are the heaviest users, therefore costliest to insure. If you paid the same rates per person as others do, your health insurance costs for 5 would at least triple. Are you surprised that insurance companies want adults to get their own insurance? Are you surprised that other policy holders want your kids to grow up and get their own insurance so that they aren’t paying for your kids?
Besides, colleges usually have student health plans that are very cheap, among the cheapest health insurance you can get. So an adult who goes back to school later generally has access to some of the cheapest health insurance available to single adults. Why? Students generally don’t have kids, therefore singles aren’t subsidizing other peoples’ kids. It keeps insurance rates much lower if costs are prorated on a per-person basis than if costs are shifted from high-risk, high-use groups to low-risk, lower-cost groups. And it is incredibly unfair to expect others to subsidize your costs.