Health insurance is one of the most important insurance that you can get for yourself and as well as for your family. Having a health insurance plan will assure you that you and your family are covered during unexpected health emergencies. knowing that everyone in your family is covered by your insurance can give you peace of mind. However, a lot of people might don’t know who can be qualified as legal dependents for your insurance plan.
Here is the list of qualified legal dependents for your Health Insurance Plan:
Children
When it comes to dependents, your children are generally the first persons that come to mind. In general, any youngster who meets the following conditions can be included:
Your child must be under the age of 26. In some instances, for a child to be qualified as your legal dependent, he/she needs to be your biological child, your stepchild, your adopted child, or a foster child that you are taking care of. Moreover, If your child has other siblings, half brothers or sisters, or children of their own, you can also include them on your health insurance plan. In terms of length of residency, A child can only be considered a dependent if they have resided with you for at least six months. Income Contribution: While your child can be tax dependent while working and contributing to their expenses, they cannot be their primary support system. To qualify as your dependent, a child’s income must be less than half of the cost of their support expenses.
If your child files a joint tax return that year, they cannot be your dependent. Other Claims: A child cannot be claimed by more than one household as a dependent. So, regardless of your relationship, you can’t claim your child as a dependent if someone else does.
Spouse
Adding a spouse to your health insurance coverage is usually permissible. You normally have up to 60 days after getting married to enroll in a new plan or add your spouse as a dependent. Keep in mind that if you or your spouse have access to employer-sponsored health insurance but opt to purchase your family plan on an insurance exchange.
Is your parents qualified as your legal dependent?
While the Affordable Care Act mandates that children remain covered under their parents’ insurance until they turn 26, parents do not have the same protection. Parents are usually not counted as dependents in health insurance, but spouses and children are. However, the rules differ according to the plan and location, so double-check with your plan. If you want to get health insurance for your parents, contact your health plan to see if they may be added to your plan. In most cases, your parents must be declared as tax dependents. If your health insurance won’t let you add your parents, you can sign them up for a separate plan through the Marketplace or Medicare.
