Stone, Wagner, Blevins, Denn Unveil Bill To Allow Health Coverage Of Adult Children  

House Bill Would Allow Parents To Buy Health Insurance For Children Up To Age 24; Designed To Help Seriously Ill Young Adults  

Dover – Insurance companies would be required to allow parents to purchase health insurance for their children up to age 24 under new legislation sponsored by State Representatives Donna Stone and Nancy Wagner and State Senator Patricia Blevins and supported by Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn.

Currently, some companies only allow parents to keep children on their coverage until age 18 or if the child is a full-time college student. The legislation, which will be introduced as a House bill, would mandate that insurance companies allow the option for a parent to purchase to continued coverage for the child up to age 24 and regardless of educational status. The cost of the insurance would be borne by the parent.

Commissioner Denn said the legislation is based in part on “Michelle’s Law” in New Hampshire, which was inspired by a college student who died of cancer at age 22 and was told she could not stay on her parents’ health insurance unless she remained a full-time student. Almost 23 percent of adults age 18 to 29 in Delaware are uninsured – double the percentage of any other age group.

“Many families face a tough choice when their children leave home, as some colleges and jobs do not offer health insurance but many private health insurance plans do not allow the parents to continue carrying the adult child on the family’s plan,” Rep. Stone said.

“With health insurance costs high and going higher, young adults in their 20s often forego health insurance,” Rep. Wagner said. “This legislation would provide a way for parents to help ensure their adult children are covered.”

“We don’t want to see the kind of situation in Delaware that Michelle Morse faced in New Hampshire, forced to go to school full-time while battling a life-threatening disease,” Sen. Blevins said.

“Passing this legislation might well provide the difference between being treated or not for young adults with cancer, heart disease or AIDS,” Commissioner Denn said. “I thank Rep. Stone, Rep. Wagner and Sen. Blevins for sponsoring this legislation and I urge the General Assembly to pass it.”