Since the enactment of health reform, we have been saying that there will be an onslaught of regulations that will need to be promulgated to implement all of the provisions. And so it begins… on May 13, the administration released a rule that implements the health reform provision that allows children to stay on their parents insurance until they turn 26.
The requirement that health plans providing dependent coverage continue that coverage until age 26 is one of a series of private health insurance reforms that will be implemented over the next few months. Another regulation that should be released soon would prohibit insurers from denying coverage for children because of a pre-existing health condition. These insurance reforms are important for children and children’s hospitals because they ensure that many children and young adults will have a more continuous source of health insurance coverage. Keeping more children on private insurance may also relieve some of the pressure on state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs.
Highlights of the dependent coverage interim final rule include:
- Requires health insurance plans that provide dependent coverage to provide coverage to children to age 26;
- Prohibits plans from conditioning dependent coverage on student or marital status, residency, financial support or other factors; and
- Prohibits insurers from varying the benefits or cost sharing for coverage for older dependents.
Comments are due on this rule by 5:00 p.m. on August 11. For more details on this rule, please see the N.A.C.H. summary.
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