At What Age Does Your Parents’ Health Insurance End?

Affordable Care Act Age Extension 

Afraid that you will lose your parents’ health insurance when you reach a certain age? The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark Obama healthcare law, allows young adults to remain covered by their parents’ health insurance until they turn 26.

 In the days before the Affordable Care Act, a person was kicked off their parent’s insurance plan at the age of 19 (full-time students were allowed to remain). 

In case you’re still on your parents’ health plan, and have a 26th birthday coming up, here’s what you need to know about the end of your coverage. 

In The Event That Your Parent Has Obamacare

You must determine what type of insurance coverage your parents have before you are kicked off their health insurance. 

When you turn 26, if they have a Marketplace plan, you’ll have until Dec. 31 to keep it. The Open Enrollment Period ends on Dec. 31, so if you want to enroll in the Marketplace come Jan. 1, you need to do so before Dec. 31. 

Open Enrollment must be completed before the end of that calendar year. December 15 is the last day for most states to participate in Open Enrollment. 

A Parent’s Employer May Offer Insurance To You

What type of insurance do your parents have through their employer? Consequently, your coverage ends on the last day of the month of your birth the year you turn 26. 

When this occurs, you will have a 60-day Special Enrollment Period, during which you can enroll in an individual Marketplace plan outside of Open Enrollment.