Can You Stay On Your Parents’ Insurance Until 30? (2024)

Becoming a young adult gives you a lot of freedom, but it also means becoming responsible for many of the expenses your parents covered as you grew up, including healthcare.

You know there will come a day when you have to pay for your own health insurance, but you’re not sure when it is. For instance, can you stay on your parents’ insurance until 30?

Here’s a look at how long you can stay on your parents’ health plan and the options you have for coverage once you’re forced to leave it.

How Long Can You Stay on Your Parents’ Insurance?

Through the Affordable Care Act, you can stay on your parents’ health insurance until age 26. Ever since the law was enacted in 2010, young adults have had questions about maintaining coverage through their parents.

Part-time college students or those who chose not to go to school are likely to ask, “Do you have to be a full-time student to stay on your parents’ insurance?” Similarly, you might wonder what happens if you get pregnant while on your parents’ insurance.

Generally, the law allows you to join and stay on your parents’ health plan until you’re 26, even if you:

• Attend or leave college

• Live away from home

• Marry

• Have or adopt a child

• File your own taxes

• Refuse group health insurance at work

If your parents happen to be divorced, you also might ask, “Can both parents have health insurance on a child?” The answer is yes — this situation invokes the so-called “Birthday Rule,” where the parent with the earliest birthday in the year pays first, and the other parent’s insurance pays second.

If your parents have group health insurance through work, an employer can stop your insurance coverage at the end of the month in which you turn 26. For insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you can remain on your parents’ insurance until the end of the year in which you turn 26.

Dependent Insurance Age Limit in the Six Largest States

Some adult children may still be covered by their parents’ medical insurance policies after turning 26. Here’s a look at the dependent insurance age limit for remaining on your parents’ health insurance in the nation’s six most populated states:

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in California: No

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in Florida: Yes

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in Illinois: Yes

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in New York: Yes

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in Pennsylvania: No

• Stay on Parents’ Insurance Until 30 in Texas: No

Eight states — Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin — permit higher dependent insurance age limits ranging from 29 to 31. Others allow disabled dependents incapable of sustaining employment on their own to remain on a parent’s health plan indefinitely.

Why Do I Need Health Insurance?

As a young adult, you may feel healthy and wonder why you’d need to be among the millions of millions of people who have health insurance in the U.S. But even you may fall ill at some point, and accidents, by nature, are typically unexpected.

The charge for treating a broken leg can be as much as $7,500, and a three-day hospital stay can cost you as much as $30,000. At those prices, it might be a good idea to consider purchasing a catastrophic health plan with a low premium and high deductible to cover worst-case scenarios if you’re no longer on your parents’ insurance.

Other Options for Health Insurance Coverage

Depending on where you live, you can begin preparing to take over responsibility for your health insurance before you turn 26 or 30. Here are several options for securing the health care services you need.

Group Health Insurance

Group health insurance might be offered through your employer or an organization you belong to. Also known as an employer-sponsored insurance plan, this type of policy can be a low-cost way to get health insurance.

Large employers (those with more than 50 employees) are required to offer group health insurance to their employees. Employers typically pay the bulk of the premium, making it easier for you to limit the percentage of your income going to health insurance.

Health Insurance Marketplace

You can apply for policies from some of the nation’s largest health insurance companies through the federal government’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Depending on your earnings, you may qualify for a subsidy that could cover your premium or make it less expensive.

School-Based Health Insurance

Many colleges and universities offer their students health coverage. If you’re in school, you may be able to seek coverage from your institution and roll the cost into your tuition, room, and board.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a public health insurance program run by the federal government that provides affordable health coverage for low-income individuals and families. You can check your state’s guidelines or apply through the federal marketplace to learn whether you might qualify for Medicaid.

Another possibility for maintaining affordable health insurance after you age off your parents’ plan is to continue the coverage through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Going this route allows you to continue receiving the same coverage you had for up to three years, though it can be expensive, as you’ll pay the full cost of the premium.

Find the Ideal Insurance Solution With ConsumerShield

If you’re nearing the cut-off age and want to discuss your evolving healthcare needs, the insurance professionals at ConsumerShield can answer whatever questions you may have. We believe in sharing trustworthy information to empower decision-making. Contact us today for expert assistance.