Three insurers move up age for young adult eligibility
Companies answer HHS secretary's call to adopt higher age limit before the late September deadline established in the health care reform law.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that three major health insurers have agreed to let young adults stay on their parents' plans after they would normally lose their eligibility.
Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Kaiser Permanente and Humana, she said Tuesday, have adopted the new health care law's higher age limit before they're required to at the end of September. Sebelius has been encouraging insurers to step up ahead of that deadline.
Carriers have traditionally allowed young adults to stay on their parents' plans only until they graduate college, and that has pushed many onto the ranks of the uninsured, if they haven't found jobs that offer coverage.
"The Affordable Care Act, and the voluntary actions of insurers to eliminate the coverage gap for young adults on their parents' plans, will give greater health security to millions of American families," Sebelius said in a statement. "Insuring younger Americans is a top priority for the administration and we will continue working to expand the opportunity for children and young adults to have access to quality, affordable care."
"The entire Blue Cross and Blue Shield system, which provides coverage to nearly 100 million Americans in every ZIP code in the nation, is committed to working collaboratively with the administration, Congress, state regulators and all stakeholders to provide for an effective and workable implementation of the new health care reform law," said Scott P. Serota, BCBSA CEO. "By proactively making this change now, Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans are working to enhance and preserve coverage for as many Americans as possible."
The Blues plans will make the coverage available to those insured through their employer accounts.