Under the new Affordable Care Act (ACA) parents may keep their children on their own health insurance until age 26.  Once they turn 27 they are on their own, unless they are a full-time student.  The irony of this aspect of the ACA is that it should not matter how old a family member is in order for them to remain insured. Once again, this is all merely an attempt to force persons into distinct rating classes that will allow health insurers to more easily manipulate premium structures to maximize profits.

If health insurers would adopt “all enrollees rating” processes, then it would not matter what age an individual is or if they were on a group or individual policy, much less their parents policies.  It is time to force health insurers to make the logical jump to open access coverage, with reviewed premium structures and a demand that they move to an all insured methodology when it comes to rating.