On July 29, Governor David A. Paterson signed into law three Governor’s Program bills that will make health insurance more affordable and improve access to health care for New Yorkers. The first extends the period of time for COBRA coverage from 18 to 36 months; the second permits families to cover their young adult dependents through age 29 under their job-based insurance; and the third enacts a series of managed care reforms to make health insurance work better for consumers and permit timely access to necessary health services.
The law extending health coverage to age 29 for children under group plans, requires insurers to allow unmarried children through age 29 – regardless of financial dependence – to be covered under a parent’s group health insurance policy as long as the child lives, resides and works in New York, is not covered by another policy and is not eligible for Medicaid.. According to the governor’s office, young adults ages 19 to 29 represent 31 percent of uninsured New Yorkers. They often become ineligible for coverage under their parents’ policies at age 19 or upon high school or college graduation. Under the new law, premiums will be paid for by families, not employers, but would cost less because coverage is under group policies rather than individual policies. The law also requires insurers to offer employers an option to purchase coverage that includes young adults as dependents in family policies through age 29.
According to Nassau County Comptrollers Director of Communications Carole Trottere, this part of the bill will likely not be implemented by NYSHIP until January 1 when the new plan year begins. The availability and cost of the coverage to an employee has not yet been determined by NYSHIP. The expansion of COBRA coverage began on July 1.