As the season of college commencements approaches, planning for the ceremonies isn’t the only topic grads-in-waiting need to discuss with Mom and Dad.
If students have been covered by the college health plan and want to get onto their parents’ insurance plan, they have 30 days from the date their student coverage ends to do so. Miss that window, and they may be left out until the plan’s next annual enrollment period, usually at the beginning of the new year.
“The [college] coverage will probably end in August, but students should check the date,” says Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of Young Invincibles, a health care advocacy group for young adults. “It’s an important piece of information. They could have a gap in coverage.” The group has created a toolkit for new grads to help them understand their health insurance options.