California first to let kids add parents to insurance plans [View all]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is the first state to let some adult children add their parents as dependents on their insurance plans, a move advocates hope will cover the small population of people living in the country illegally who don't qualify for other assistance programs.

The trend nationally has been to let children linger on their parents' health insurance plans. Former President Barack Obama's health care law let children stay on their parents' plans until age 26. Some states have gone further and let kids stay on their parents' plans until at least age 30, including Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

But California is now the first state to go the other direction by letting some adults join their kids' health insurance plans. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the law this week, but it won't take effect until 2023.

“The signing of the Parent Healthcare Act will help more families care for their parents the way they cared for us,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said.

Read more: https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/California-first-to-let-kids-add-parents-to-16519816.php
(Danbury News Times)