New health care coverage options for older dependents has its limits

Many Tallahassee grads this spring may get a special graduation present: health care coverage on their parents' policy. Health care reform requires insurers to allow this coverage, up to the dependent's 26th birthday, beginning in September. Many insurers plan to adopt the policy prior to the deadline.

But the coverage option isn't without its limits. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement on Monday clarifying the scope of the new policy:

• The option is only a requirement on plans that already offer dependent coverage. Not all plans do, and there is no mandate to do so.
• The insurer is allowed to charge more for the adult's dependent coverage if "similarly situated" adults could be charged more.
• While the policy applies whether or not the dependent adult is married or single, spouses and the dependent's own children cannot be covered.
• There's no requirement for employers to pay the premiums for an added dependent (the law's specifics have yet to be written, but the intention is for all dependents to be treated equally. So if they're paying 50 percent of dependent premiums on existing children, adding an adult dependent should, in theory, entitle an employee to 50 percent of their premiums being covered as well.
• Families can keep their adult offspring on their policy, even if they are not listed as dependents on their income tax return.

Current Florida state law (Florida 627.6562) allows for dependent children up to 25, who live with their parent or are a student, and up to 30 years old, who are also unmarried and have no dependent child of their own, to remain on their parents' insurance.

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