Disclaimer: BS Kids LLC legal research and information has been prepared for educational and informational purposes only. This material is not
legal advice or legal opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create and receipt does not constitute a
lawyer-client relationship between BS Kids LLC , the author of the information and any other legal publisher. Customers of BS Kids should not act
upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The opinions expressed in the material presented to BS Kids clientele is based on
information found in legal publications. BS Kids LLC, 78 Canterberry Court, Hudson, NH 03051 781-756-1214.
legal advice or legal opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create and receipt does not constitute a
lawyer-client relationship between BS Kids LLC , the author of the information and any other legal publisher. Customers of BS Kids should not act
upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The opinions expressed in the material presented to BS Kids clientele is based on
information found in legal publications. BS Kids LLC, 78 Canterberry Court, Hudson, NH 03051 781-756-1214.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
WELCOME
A Child Advocacy Company
Bringing Support to Parents
Building Strength to Children
Bringing Support to Parents
Building Strength to Children
News
States Redefine Family Health Policies
Thursday February 21, 3:24 am ET
By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer
States Redefine Family Health Policies, Seeking to Cover Young Adults
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thomas Mahoney came out of a seizure last December surrounded by paramedics
ready to take him to the hospital by ambulance. Mindful of the cost, he asked his mom and girlfriend to
drive him instead, slipping in and out of consciousness along the way.
Maybe it wasn't the smartest option for a patient with epilepsy, but for a 21-year-old without health
insurance, it was prudent.
Mahoney, of Dublin, Ga., lost his insurance when he turned 19, no longer eligible for coverage under his
father's policy because he wasn't a full-time student.
Almost all states, when regulating insurance plans for small- and medium-sized employers, set a maximum
age for coverage of dependent children. The limit is usually 19 for non-students and 23 for full-time
college students.
Mahoney is just one of more than 13 million people between the ages of 19 to 29 without health coverage.
Many are just starting out in their careers, and have never had a serious health problem. Some refer to
the group as "the invincibles" because so many take that good health for granted.
States now are looking at this group of young people as they seek to reduce the number of uninsured.
In the past two years, 17 states have passed laws that let young adults stay on the family policy until their
mid-20s. New age limits range from 24 in Delaware, Indiana and South Dakota, to 30 in New Jersey. Eleven
states settled on age 25, according to the Commonwealth Fund, which conducts health research.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has also picked up on the trend. Part of his health
platform would let young people up to age 25 continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Mahoney said he explored continuing his coverage under his father's policy, but that it would have cost
about $1,500 a month -- two-thirds of his income. Other policies would not cover his pre-existing condition.
His father "would by all means do whatever he could to get me covered and keep me covered," he said.
"My mother is the same way."
The Commonwealth Fund, a health research organization, projects that 1.4 million people would gain
health insurance if every state extended dependent coverage to at least 23.
State lawmakers who specialize in insurance regulation, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators,
will vote on a policy recommendation in two weeks that supports increasing the availability of dependent
benefits up to age 25. The endorsement would be important because legislators around the country look
to the organization for guidance on insurance issues.
"This is one way states can address a specific age group and not have to expend a lot of state resources
to extend health coverage," said Laura Tobler, health program director at the National Conference of State
Legislatures.
But not everybody agrees that states should take that step. Some refer to the extensions as the "slacker
mandate."
The insurance industry says the extensions cause insurers to pay for care that consumers previously paid
for out of their own pockets. When insurers have to pay more claims, they eventually have to raise
premiums to cover those claims. For the most part, employers bear the added cost.
Mohit Ghose, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, said it's too soon to know how much
insurance costs went up in states that extended eligibility for dependent coverage. When evaluating the
additional requirements, he said, each one by itself amounts to a small increase in the cost of a policy,
usually adding less than 1 percent. But, eventually, those mandates add up. Eventually, they can price
health coverage out of range for some employers and their workers, he said.
"Sometimes when states jump on a bandwagon, it's not necessarily the right bandwagon for the people
they're trying to help," said Susan Laudicina, director of state research and policy at The Blue Cross and
Blue Shield Association.
A better solution is to let insurers offer a mix of plans that appeal to young adults, Ghose and Laudicina
said. Such plans typically have low monthly premiums but require the patient to pick up a large chunk of
initial medical expense. Plans targeting young adults tend to cost less because those age 19-23 generate
about $1,500 in medical expenses a year compared to $3,200 for those 30-49 or $6,300 for those 50-64.
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, which tracks mandated benefits, counts the "slacker
mandate" as among the 1,961 mandates it's identified in all the states. Some require a small group or
individual plan to cover a type of provider, such as a chiropractor. Others require the coverage of a
particular disease, say Lyme Disease.
J.P. Wieske, the council's director of state affairs, said that staying on a parent's policy could come back to
haunt young adults who develop serious health conditions. Once they develop a serious condition, like
Thomas Mahoney did with epilepsy, they'll find it almost impossible to get insurance. But if they get their
own health insurance before the problem hits, they'll have coverage that cannot be terminated.
"The sooner they can get on their own policies, the better off they'll be," Wieske said. "The rates will be
cheaper and they're buying something they can keep with them."
Wieske is particularly critical of New Jersey's law, which extended dependent coverage in some cases to
age 30.
But Sarah Collins of the Commonwealth Fund said she believes the state's approach made sense.
"One of the fastest growing age groups in the uninsured are 19 to 29 year olds. Between 19 and 23,
you're somewhat protected by your parents plans," Collins said, referring primarily to college students.
"But, this age group, from 24 to 29, you really are a new entrant in the labor force. When you are a new
entrant to the labor force, you're more likely to be employed by companies that don't offer coverage."
Thursday February 21, 3:24 am ET
By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer
States Redefine Family Health Policies, Seeking to Cover Young Adults
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thomas Mahoney came out of a seizure last December surrounded by paramedics
ready to take him to the hospital by ambulance. Mindful of the cost, he asked his mom and girlfriend to
drive him instead, slipping in and out of consciousness along the way.
Maybe it wasn't the smartest option for a patient with epilepsy, but for a 21-year-old without health
insurance, it was prudent.
Mahoney, of Dublin, Ga., lost his insurance when he turned 19, no longer eligible for coverage under his
father's policy because he wasn't a full-time student.
Almost all states, when regulating insurance plans for small- and medium-sized employers, set a maximum
age for coverage of dependent children. The limit is usually 19 for non-students and 23 for full-time
college students.
Mahoney is just one of more than 13 million people between the ages of 19 to 29 without health coverage.
Many are just starting out in their careers, and have never had a serious health problem. Some refer to
the group as "the invincibles" because so many take that good health for granted.
States now are looking at this group of young people as they seek to reduce the number of uninsured.
In the past two years, 17 states have passed laws that let young adults stay on the family policy until their
mid-20s. New age limits range from 24 in Delaware, Indiana and South Dakota, to 30 in New Jersey. Eleven
states settled on age 25, according to the Commonwealth Fund, which conducts health research.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has also picked up on the trend. Part of his health
platform would let young people up to age 25 continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Mahoney said he explored continuing his coverage under his father's policy, but that it would have cost
about $1,500 a month -- two-thirds of his income. Other policies would not cover his pre-existing condition.
His father "would by all means do whatever he could to get me covered and keep me covered," he said.
"My mother is the same way."
The Commonwealth Fund, a health research organization, projects that 1.4 million people would gain
health insurance if every state extended dependent coverage to at least 23.
State lawmakers who specialize in insurance regulation, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators,
will vote on a policy recommendation in two weeks that supports increasing the availability of dependent
benefits up to age 25. The endorsement would be important because legislators around the country look
to the organization for guidance on insurance issues.
"This is one way states can address a specific age group and not have to expend a lot of state resources
to extend health coverage," said Laura Tobler, health program director at the National Conference of State
Legislatures.
But not everybody agrees that states should take that step. Some refer to the extensions as the "slacker
mandate."
The insurance industry says the extensions cause insurers to pay for care that consumers previously paid
for out of their own pockets. When insurers have to pay more claims, they eventually have to raise
premiums to cover those claims. For the most part, employers bear the added cost.
Mohit Ghose, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, said it's too soon to know how much
insurance costs went up in states that extended eligibility for dependent coverage. When evaluating the
additional requirements, he said, each one by itself amounts to a small increase in the cost of a policy,
usually adding less than 1 percent. But, eventually, those mandates add up. Eventually, they can price
health coverage out of range for some employers and their workers, he said.
"Sometimes when states jump on a bandwagon, it's not necessarily the right bandwagon for the people
they're trying to help," said Susan Laudicina, director of state research and policy at The Blue Cross and
Blue Shield Association.
A better solution is to let insurers offer a mix of plans that appeal to young adults, Ghose and Laudicina
said. Such plans typically have low monthly premiums but require the patient to pick up a large chunk of
initial medical expense. Plans targeting young adults tend to cost less because those age 19-23 generate
about $1,500 in medical expenses a year compared to $3,200 for those 30-49 or $6,300 for those 50-64.
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, which tracks mandated benefits, counts the "slacker
mandate" as among the 1,961 mandates it's identified in all the states. Some require a small group or
individual plan to cover a type of provider, such as a chiropractor. Others require the coverage of a
particular disease, say Lyme Disease.
J.P. Wieske, the council's director of state affairs, said that staying on a parent's policy could come back to
haunt young adults who develop serious health conditions. Once they develop a serious condition, like
Thomas Mahoney did with epilepsy, they'll find it almost impossible to get insurance. But if they get their
own health insurance before the problem hits, they'll have coverage that cannot be terminated.
"The sooner they can get on their own policies, the better off they'll be," Wieske said. "The rates will be
cheaper and they're buying something they can keep with them."
Wieske is particularly critical of New Jersey's law, which extended dependent coverage in some cases to
age 30.
But Sarah Collins of the Commonwealth Fund said she believes the state's approach made sense.
"One of the fastest growing age groups in the uninsured are 19 to 29 year olds. Between 19 and 23,
you're somewhat protected by your parents plans," Collins said, referring primarily to college students.
"But, this age group, from 24 to 29, you really are a new entrant in the labor force. When you are a new
entrant to the labor force, you're more likely to be employed by companies that don't offer coverage."