Q & A
Must a divorced dad cover adult kids?
Full Question: My ex-husband has been responsible for providing health insurance for our kids until the age of majority. My sons are now 21 and almost 18. My ex has family coverage for himself and his new wife, but he wants me to put the kids on my insurance now that they have reached the age of majority. Covering the kids doesn’t cost him anything extra, but for me to switch from a single plan to a family plan is an extra $175 a month and I can’t afford it. Since the age of majority for health insurance is now 26, is it possible he still is required to keep them on his insurance?
Answer: No, he’s not obligated to keep them on his health plan. Under the health law, insurers must offer to cover young adults up to age 26, but parents aren’t obligated to provide it, says Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University and an expert on the health law. Further, the requirement to offer coverage isn’t related to the age of majority, which is defined by individual states and is generally between 18 and 21, says Randy Kessler, an Atlanta divorce lawyer and past chair of the American Bar Association’s family law section.
The health insurance coverage arrangement that you describe is pretty typical, says Kessler. You could go back to court and try to get your child-support payments increased to cover the cost of providing health insurance for the kids, but “it would be unusual for the courts to be helpful,” says Kessler. Absent some significant change in your or your ex-husband’s finances, or unforeseen and costly medical expenses for your children, in general “you can’t have another bite at the apple.”
With no legal requirement to compel either of you to cover your kids, it’s something the two of you will just have to work out, says Kessler. In addition to covering your children on your own or your ex’s plan, it’s also worth exploring whether they might qualify for subsidized coverage on the state marketplaces or for Medicaid, if your state has expanded coverage to childless adults. If they’re in college, student health coverage is worth investigating as well.
Source: Michelle Andrews, Seattle/LocalHealthGuide – 8/12/2014
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