5/12/10: NTEU said today it strongly supports a Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), to provide the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with authority to have health insurance carriers extend coverage to young adult dependents to age 26 on their parents’ health care plans in 2010. Similar legislation was introduced in the House last week by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

The legislation would be a technical correction to the recently-approved health care reform bills and would allow OPM to implement the coverage for dependents to age 26 under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) this year rather than next Jan. 1, as is currently required, said NTEU National President Colleen Kelley.

“NTEU has worked hard to see health care coverage provided to dependents up to age 26,” said President Kelley, “and I am hopeful these measures will get the necessary support in the House and Senate, and that the change can be implemented in time to help federal families seeking this coverage this year.” Extending dependent coverage has been an NTEU legislative priority.

The technical correction is necessary because existing language governing OPM’s authority to contract with insurance carriers for plans requires that eligibility for dependent coverage end at age 22.

The bipartisan Cardin bill is co-sponsored by Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

The Cardin and Van Hollen measures are in line with efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate the application of this important provision by private sector companies.