Empire BlueCross Expands Coverage to 26 Year-Olds
April 26, 2010
(Long Island, N.Y.)-Ranking Member of the Senate Standing Committee on Health, Senator Kemp Hannon, posted “Empire to Extend Health Care Coverage to Age 26” as his latest important “Health Watch Update” on his website, kemphannon.com.
Empire BlueCross BlueShield, New York’s largest health insurer, announced that it will cover dependents to age 26 with no increase in insurance premiums.
Each year in June, many individuals are no longer eligible as dependents on their parents’ insurance policies because of their age, student status or other factors. Federal health care reform legislation, signed into law last month, will extend the dependent age for coverage to 26 for plan years beginning September 23, 2010. As such, many individuals would face a coverage gap during the months before this provision is fully implemented.
As a proactive measure to assist its members, Empire will allow young men and women to remain on their parents’ policies even before this health care reform provision takes effect. Beginning June 1, Empire will automatically retain these young individuals on their parents’ policies in both fully insured group and individual health plans. Self insured clients and members will have the option of not offering this extended coverage.
For additional information visit www.empireblue.com or contact your representative in Congress.
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Health
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One Response to “Empire BlueCross Expands Coverage to 26 Year-Olds”
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I am a retired faculty member of Suffolk Community College which offers the EMHP plan.(Employee Medical Health Plan) which by law must provide equivalent or better benefits than NYS Empire Plan. My son, a full time graduate student, will turn 25 on 9/11. We were informed he would be dropped by 9/30 and re-enrolled 1/1/11. For 3 months he will be uninsured unless we purchase expensive Cobra. Personnel at the college says that although Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO may provide seamless coverage for these dependents, that NYS Empire Plan does not and allows the county to drop, then resume coverage (as above) for these dependents turning 25 in September. IIs this true? Is the above article referencing NYS Empire Plan OR an Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. Many thanks for your input.
M. Habibi
- Posted by: Mehdi Habibi