The Illinois Senate on Tuesday voted 35-17 to approve a measure that would allow as many as 300,000 young adults to remain on their parents' health plans up to age 26, or up to eld 30 if they are veterans, the Chicago Tribune reports. Illinois currently does not have an long time requirement for dependent insurance coverage, so insurers set age limits on a policy-by-policy basis, with some halting coverage at 21 while others extend coverage several years for full time college students. Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) proposed the measure as an addition to statute law that would give parents more flexibleness to let in children under their wellness policies in the case of an injury or illness that restricts them from enrolling full-time in college. The children must be single to be eligible for coverage.
Blagojevich aforementioned, "Parents of those young adults will have an option to give their children admission to fair to middling health precaution," adding, "This also invites thousands of additional healthy young adults into insurance pools, which can give birth a positive benefit for everyone."
The law is scheduled to take upshot on Jan. 1, 2009, and parents can begin including their children under their policies by the spring, the Tribune reports.
According to the Tribune, business groups have threatened to file a lawsuit to block personation of the law, claiming that it might encourage unhealthy young adults to obtain reportage under their parents' policies, resulting in higher policy rates for all beneficiaries. Sen. Dale Righter (R) said Blagojevich "badly dropped the ball" on the expansion language because he "cannot change the fundamental purpose" of the legislation.
Reaction
Kim Clarke Maisch, director of the Illinois branch of the National Federation of Independent Business, said, "If there's just one person who's insalubrious, the rates can rocket for everyone," adding, "And if there's one thing we know about the insurance industry, it's that they aren't going to pay an extra dime."
Jay Shattuck, a lobbyist with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, aforesaid, "There ar hundreds of thousands world Health Organization have the option to buy coverage in the private market now that have failed to do so," adding, "Why would they seek coverage now?" Shattuck aforesaid the Chamber of Commerce will consider whether to file a lawsuit (Long/Garcia, Chicago Tribune, 8/19).
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