Health Insurance Articles
Health Insurance Coverage For Families With Teenagers
2010-07-07
One of the groups most often neglected when it comes to health insurance are teenagers that either still live at home with their parents or have just gone off to college or university. Often, parents do not realize how their health insurance coverage may affect their teenage children, and teens are often too caught up in a new school or job to realize that they may no longer be covered under their old health insurance plan. For that reason, it is a good idea to be aware of the types of teen coverage that are available, and how they can be accessed. While teens are generally at a lower risk for serious health concerns than seniors or infants, the stress of a new school or job, combined with moving out of the family home can often leave these typically healthy bodies ripe for disease or infection. It is important they have sufficient coverage should a sudden problem arise.
Generally, health insurance coverage for families includes stipulations that teenagers and other children living in the home will be covered in addition to the parents, but it is always wise to check on this before signing off on a policy. Is in case an individual or class of individuals are not named in a policy, they will not be covered by the insurer. Be very aware of who in a household is covered and for what. As well, most family health plans will only cover teenagers until they are 19. After that, they are responsible for obtaining their own plan and will no longer be covered by the old one. Often, this transition is not accompanied by a letter from the company, and parents and caregivers can find themselves in an awkward and expensive position. In some cases, coverage may extend to 19 year old students who are defined as being "full-time" at a college or university, but this will vary among providers.
Other options for teenage health coverage include state-sponsored care for those up to 19 that are not covered under a parent's plan and fall well below the poverty line. This type of insurance involves a fairly lengthy application process, however, and not all states offer it. For those teens that choose military service, the military offers its own healthcare, which typically operates on and off of the base, and for a teen who simply chooses to enter the workforce, group health plans are typically available.
No matter how insurance is obtained or through what agency, having the proper teen coverage is essential to making sure that they stay happy and healthy even as they forge ahead in their own jobs or schooling.
