10/6/09: Four members of the House of Representatives are seeking the support of their colleagues to advance an issue that continues to be an important goal of NTEU—extending the age for health care coverage for dependent children under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).

The House members—Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.)—are circulating a letter to be sent to the chairs of four key House committees with jurisdiction over health care legislation.

Within the context of broad health care reform, the letter calls for the inclusion of language in H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, to allow young adults up to the age of 26 to remain covered under their parents’ group health insurance policy, including in the FEHBP, where the current dependent age cap is 22. Health care legislation previously approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee includes such language.

“This is an issue that impacts many federal families,” said NTEU National President Colleen Kelley. “Extending coverage to age 26 for dependent children is a long overdue action.”

Once additional signatures have been secured, the House members’ letter will be sent to these committee chairs: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) of the Ways and Means Committee; Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), of the Energy and Commerce Committee; Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), of the Education and Labor Committee; and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), of the Rules Committee.  

In their letter to other House members, the Van Hollen and Dahlkemper-led group pointed out that young adults between 19 and 29 are one of the largest segments of the U.S. population without health insurance, often losing coverage at age 19 or upon high school or college graduation. This amounts to nearly 30 percent of all Americans lacking health coverage, they said.

“The typical young adult frequently changes jobs or holds part-time or temporary jobs—the kind of jobs that generally do not come with health insurance,” the letter stated. “The lack of continuity and stability in coverage puts young adults’ health at risk and subjects them and their families to financial stress when they are starting out in the workforce.”

President Kelley has offered congressional testimony in support of extending dependent coverage beyond age 22, frequently drawing upon the stories of NTEU members and their children to impress on members of Congress the severity of the impact such a circumstance can create.  

“There is nothing theoretical about this problem,” Kelley said. “Whether it affects a college student in a program extending beyond the traditional four-years, or impacts a young adult just starting in the job market in a position that does not provide coverage—or the pay is too low to make it affordable for that person, this issue is real, it is serious and it is growing.”  

President Kelley also pointed out that approximately 30 states have changed their state laws to increase the age of health coverage for young adults on their parents’ policies in the private sector.