Apr 08, 2024

Question of the Day: Until what age can a child stay on their parents' health insurance?

Your students might be unaware of how long they can stay on their parents' health insurance.

Answer: 26 years old.

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Questions:

  • There’s a misconception that young people don’t have to get insurance because they’re generally healthy and don’t need it. What’s one argument against this?
  • Do you think there is a cost to being on a parent's health insurance plan? If so, do you think a child's insurance is more/less expensive than their parent's health insurance? 
  • Do you think this is a good policy to allow young people to stay on their parent's health insurance plans up to this age? Why or why not? 

 

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

 

Behind the numbers (from HHS.gov):

"Under current law, if your plan covers children, you can now add or keep your children on your health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old.

Children can join or remain on a parent's plan even if they are:

  • Married
  • Not living with their parents
  • Attending school
  • Not financially dependent on their parents
  • Eligible to enroll in their employer’s plan"

 

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Looking for more on insurance? Check out NGPF's Insurance unit.

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About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan grew up with and maintains a love for learning. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a degree in Business Administration and worked in sports marketing for a number of years. After living in Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Minnesota, the call of education eventually brought Ryan back to his home state of Wisconsin where he was a Business and Marketing teacher for three years. In his free time he likes to spend time with his wife and daughter, play basketball, read, and go fishing. Now with NGPF, Ryan is excited to help teachers lead the most important course their students will ever take.

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