Covering your kid till the are 26 (Health Insurance Question)

[episodic]

Say I decide to keep covering my son on my health insurance, am I legally responsible for his bills in excess of insured amount? My thoughts are that he is 20 something and should be tickled that I'm at least paying the premiums. I don't want to be on the hook for everything.

Thanks if anyone knows.

 

[Kreon]

AFAIK: If he has insurance through his job, your insurance is not required to cover him and may drop him (though a number of plans allow you to keep them).

Legally, I think, if you are the policy holder then you are on the hook for all excesses. Not sure that is even dealt with in the healthcare law.

IANAL, but I did read the bill and used the Reddit thread to boil down the parts I didn't quite get. Try checking that out. http://www.reddit.com/tb/vbkfm

 

[josh0099]

I say if they are doing something with their life aka going to school or equivalent, then cover it... It will mean a lot to them and they will try to provide the same for their kids probably....

 

[episodic]

I say if they are doing something with their life aka going to school or equivalent, then cover it... It will mean a lot to them and they will try to provide the same for their kids probably....

Yea, in a perfect world where I'm rich, I get it.

Sadly, due to policy increases, I'm about to have to go with the 'barebones' high deductable policy. It doesn't kick in for a family till $5000 dollars have been spent. Some of his 'fun' money is going to have to be diverted. I don't mind covering to 22 or so, but I'm a big believer that by the time you get through college, it should be time to be an adult.

 

[episodic]

AFAIK: If he has insurance through his job, your insurance is not required to cover him and may drop him (though a number of plans allow you to keep them).

Legally, I think, if you are the policy holder then you are on the hook for all excesses. Not sure that is even dealt with in the healthcare law.

IANAL, but I did read the bill and used the Reddit thread to boil down the parts I didn't quite get. Try checking that out. http://www.reddit.com/tb/vbkfm

How am I legally responsible for a 26 year old. So I could theoretically (I wouldn't) cut him off totally, and nothing is my problem then legally - but if I help him 'some' then the whole thing is my problem?

 

[Farang]

IANAL, but logically, a customer of health services tells the provider to seek reimbursement for costs from the insurance company. If the provider cannot find full reimbursement, then the provider goes to the customer. This has nothing to do with you.

Only thing I can think of is if the insurance company fronted a co-pay or something. I'm not sure if I've seen that, I've always paid the difference directly to the provider.

<----25 year old on dad's plan. I still get the bills

 

[slag]

I say if they are doing something with their life aka going to school or equivalent, then cover it... It will mean a lot to them and they will try to provide the same for their kids probably....

Hell no, this entire rule is bullshit. At 18, they are on their own. Sure, you can assist when you can, but lets be real, they are adults, they should be learning what its like to be on their own, not relying on sucking on the parents tit any longer.

 

[Balt]

How am I legally responsible for a 26 year old. So I could theoretically (I wouldn't) cut him off totally, and nothing is my problem then legally - but if I help him 'some' then the whole thing is my problem?

Keeping him on your insurance is an option, not a mandate.

 

[Phynaz]

No, you are not responsible for your kids medical bills once they turn 18, regardless if they are covered under your insurance.

 

[wirednuts]

Hell no, this entire rule is bullshit. At 18, they are on their own. Sure, you can assist when you can, but lets be real, they are adults, they should be learning what its like to be on their own, not relying on sucking on the parents tit any longer.

you understand people get sick without fault of their own, and at 18 its pretty dumb to expect them to pay for that. they havent even graduated high school yet.

 

[mmntech]

Usually you can tack them onto your insurance when they're 18+ if they are attending post-secondary education. Though maybe it's different in the US.

 

[josh0099]

Hell no, this entire rule is bullshit. At 18, they are on their own. Sure, you can assist when you can, but lets be real, they are adults, they should be learning what its like to be on their own, not relying on sucking on the parents tit any longer.

I don't believe the law is you must cover them till they are 26,but just that you have the option to keep them on your insurance till then. In my own experience my parents covered me while I was in college and I am extremely grateful that they did it allowed me to concentrate on going to school and graduate with an electrical engineering degree. Once out I had a job right off the bat and was on my own. Now other friends that got cut off to your extreme had a much tougher time finishing school or didn't finish cause they had to worry about how much money they were making during school. There aren't many jobs other then the military that will take someone out of high school and offer benefits and a potential to earn a living wage.

Now I agree when someone has had a chance to either go to school or trade apprenticeship and has a job there is no need for you to continue the support for medical care...

 

[Gooberlx2]

IANAL or medical biller, but I'm pretty sure you're only on the hook for his insurance premium. Your kid would be on the hook for his own out of pocket costs.

 

[slag]

you understand people get sick without fault of their own, and at 18 its pretty dumb to expect them to pay for that. they havent even graduated high school yet.

Uh, yeah, they have. I graduated high school and moved out at 17. I then had 3 options. Enlist and have my college and medical care paid for, 2, get a job and pay for my own health care or have my employer pay for it, or 3, go to college, learn skills that will allow me to get a better paying job, and be eligible for on campus health care.

There is no shortage of available health care for people out there. I did it, my sisters did it, anyone can do it, it just takes work and not being on the parent's tit is a scary thing for most people fresh out of high school. Time to wear the big boy pants.

 

[wirednuts]

do you know how impossible it is for an 18 year old fresh out of high school to get a job that affords healthcare? and enlist? seriously?

 

[episodic]

do you know how impossible it is for an 18 year old fresh out of high school to get a job that affords healthcare? and enlist? seriously?

I am covering him, he has a job. Simply wanted to know if I were on the hook for expenses my insurance didn't cover. I've met half way.

I had health care since I was 18, worked 2 jobs, was a single dad at 20, raised him, AND finished college part time. You are trying to argue with the wrong guy, most likely.

 

[sactoking]

Is it an HMO or a PPO? In all practicality, as long as he stays within the network then there should be no such thing as an "excess" bill.

The "excess" bill is what the industry calls "balance billing" (the provider bills your insurance, they pay, then you are billed for the balance). Any legitimate insurer will have a stipulation in their network contract with the provider that balance billing an in-network customer is strictly prohibited.

 

[MrColin]

I am covering him, he has a job. Simply wanted to know if I were on the hook for expenses my insurance didn't cover. I've met half way.

I had health care since I was 18, worked 2 jobs, was a single dad at 20, raised him, AND finished college part time. You are trying to argue with the wrong guy, most likely.

If you sign anything agreeing to pay his expenses at a hospital then yes. Otherwise I think its on him.

 

[DrPizza]

My kids were on the hook for their own bills - they were on my health insurance.