Obamacare Question RE: Kids until 26

[BTDretire]

I note you can keep your kid on the family Obamacare policy until 26 yrs old.
The other day I poked all the info into an ACA marketplace form to check prices.
When It came to the line, "are you claiming any dependents" I put no.
Both my kids 22 and 24, have jobs and income so I don't claim them.
 At that point I had no option to put the kids on the policy.

So, do the kids need to be dependents on your tax form to
have them on your Obamacare policy?

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Not according to https://www.healthcare.gov/young-adults/children-under-26/

Generally, you can join a parent’s plan and stay on until you turn 26 even if you:

• Get married
• Have or adopt a child
• Start or leave school
• Live in or out of your parent’s home
• Aren’t claimed as a tax dependent
• Turn down an offer of job-based coverage

[randymarsh]

Probably a glitch in the website. Might need to call. I've been on a parent's (employer) plan and haven't been claimed as a dependent for over 3 years now.

[Dezrah]

Just make sure your children aren't needlessly doubling up on insurance.

I have a coworker who signed up for our employer's HDHP plan.  Great idea considering they deposit $2600 into a single's HSA.  Except he also decided at the last minute to stay on his dad's PPO since it had such good deductibles.  Doh!  Now he has to figure out how he's supposed to pay back the HSA money while juggling a primary and secondary insurer.  Learning experience to be sure.

[teen persuasion]

It's complicated to figure out.  We never quite did figure it all out when DH was between jobs.

We were told to do our application including the kids that were our dependents, and then the non-dependent but under 26 kids had to complete their own applications.  I never learned how they linked to ours;  applying thru the NY website was maddening.  DH and I got Medicaid, one kid they insisted had had Medicaid in the past and never sent us his card (he'd never had it before), but we received cards for the kids both older and younger than him, one of whom HAD been covered as an infant.  Couldn't make heads or tails of it.

One thing I learned on these forums is that if your child is not your tax dependent, you cannot use your HSA $$ to pay their expenses.  However, the child is eligible to open their own HSA, and if your coverage is a family coverage, they can fund it to family limits rather than single limits.

[MDM]

Just make sure your children aren't needlessly doubling up on insurance.

I have a coworker who signed up for our employer's HDHP plan.  Great idea considering they deposit $2600 into a single's HSA.  Except he also decided at the last minute to stay on his dad's PPO since it had such good deductibles.  Doh!  Now he has to figure out how he's supposed to pay back the HSA money while juggling a primary and secondary insurer.  Learning experience to be sure.

The flip side of this can be very nice.

If non-dependent children are covered only by the parents' family HDHP, those children may open their own HSA and contribute up to the family maximum.  That's in addition to the parents HSA.

It's a small window of opportunity, but useful if one is in that situation.

ETA: Just noticed this is pretty much what teen persuasion already said....

[Need2Save]

I wonder if they are forcing your kids to determine if they are eligible for any subsidies on their own merits (income)?

For people already enrolled - it says:

You can stay on your parent’s plan until coverage ends December 31, 2016, even if you turn 26 mid-year. You can enroll in 2017 coverage starting November 1. You must enroll by December 15, 2016 for your coverage to start January 1, 2017.

If you’re not your parent’s tax dependent in 2017: You’re eligible for savings when you enroll in a Marketplace health plan, if you qualify based on your income. Most people who apply do qualify for savings — for either a Marketplace health insurance plan or Medicaid coverage.

If you are a tax dependent for 2017: You can enroll in your own Marketplace plan but won’t be eligible for savings based on your income. You’d have to pay full price. You may qualify for Medicaid.

Honestly not clear for new applicants. so you may have to call. Would be very interested in the outcome, so please report back for the community.

[BTDretire]

I wonder if they are forcing your kids to determine if they are eligible for any subsidies on their own merits (income)?

For people already enrolled - it says:

You can stay on your parent’s plan until coverage ends December 31, 2016, even if you turn 26 mid-year. You can enroll in 2017 coverage starting November 1. You must enroll by December 15, 2016 for your coverage to start January 1, 2017.

If you’re not your parent’s tax dependent in 2017: You’re eligible for savings when you enroll in a Marketplace health plan, if you qualify based on your income. Most people who apply do qualify for savings — for either a Marketplace health insurance plan or Medicaid coverage.

If you are a tax dependent for 2017: You can enroll in your own Marketplace plan but won’t be eligible for savings based on your income. You’d have to pay full price. You may qualify for Medicaid.

Honestly not clear for new applicants. so you may have to call. Would be very interested in the outcome, so please report back for the community.

Please don't wait for me to get an answer, I'm sticking with my non Obamacare BCBS policy.
I just check in at the ACA website occasionally, to see the prices of a plan and to see how crazy the
subsidies are that make it affordable. The policies cost about 30% more than my private policy, but with the 
subsidy I would receive, would be about 40% cheaper.

[BTDretire]

An update, my daughter is turning 26 this year. I wanted to get an answer about the exact date
she will lose coverage on my policy. I spent an hour on two phone calls to the 1-800 number on the back of my card. I got 3 answers, her birthday, the end of her birthday month, and the end of the year she turns 26.
 I called the local office, the agent wasn't in, but did return my call, he said he would get the answer and call me the next day. He didn't!
 So I called a number in the company of a fine lady that was a big help to me year ago.
 She told me that in FL, kids* can stay on their parents policy until they are 30 yrs old, even if they are married.

*Kids is actually greatly expanded to, contractholders or domestic partner's natural, newborn, adopted, foster or step child.