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If you added your child as a dependent on your dental insurance, it’s important to know that they can’t stay on your plan forever. Let’s take a look at how long your child can remain on your dental plan and what options are available once they reach that certain age.
When Will Your Children Lose Access to Your Dental Insurance?
Under the Affordable Care Act, your child can stay on your dental insurance plan until 26. At that point, they have to get their own dental plan.
What is the Dental Insurance Age Limit?
If your dental insurance plan allows dependent coverage, your child can join your plan and stay on it until they’re 26 even if they:
- Have or adopt a child
- Get married
- Start or leave school
- Are no longer claimed as a tax dependent
- Turn down an offer of employer-sponsored health insurance
- Move out of your home
You can add your child to your dental insurance plan either through your job or the Health Insurance Marketplace®. You must add them during the plan’s Open Enrollment Period. If you don’t, you may be able to sign them up during a Special Enrollment Period if you had a certain life event — e.g., moving, getting married, having children, etc. — that prevented you from adding your child to the plan.
If your child is covered by your job-based plan, their coverage typically ends as soon as they turn 26. However, check with your employer and the plan details. Some states and plans establish different regulations.
If you purchased a dental insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace®, your child could remain insured through Dec. 31 of the year they turn 26. For example, if your child’s birthday occurs in March, they have nine extra months to stay on your plan and figure out what to do the following year.
Extending the Age Limit
While some states follow the 26 rule, others allow your child to remain on your plan after their 26th birthday, but only under certain circumstances. Here are the states, age limits, and eligibility requirements for your child:
- Florida — Up to age 30
- Unmarried
- No children
- State resident or full-time student
- Illinois — Up to age 30
- Unmarried
- Veteran
- State resident
- Nebraska — Up to age 30
- Unmarried
- State resident or a full-time student
- New Jersey — Up to age 31
- Unmarried
- No children
- State resident or full-time student
- New York — Up to age 29
- Unmarried
- State resident
- Ineligible for comprehensive insurance through an employer
- Pennsylvania — Up to age 29
- Unmarried
- No children
- State resident or full-time student
- South Dakota — Up to age 29
- Full-time student
- Wisconsin — Up to age 27
- Unmarried
If your child doesn’t meet any of these requirements, you may want to consider their options for paying for dental care.
See how much you can save with a dental savings plan.
Use our calculator below >
Understanding Your Child’s Dental Plan Options
Here are some of your child’s options for paying for dental care:
- Employer-sponsored coverage — If your child works full time, they may be able to get dental insurance through their employer.
- School-based coverage — If your child is enrolled in a university full time, they might be able to get affordable insurance through the school.
- Marketplace coverage — If your child can’t get dental insurance through their job or school, they could enroll for Marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov.
- Dental savings plan — A dental savings plan is a trusted and affordable alternative to dental insurance that your child can use whenever they need dental treatment.
With a dental savings plan, plan members report an average savings of 50%* on their dental care, on virtually all dental procedures – including preventive, restorative, braces and even cosmetic care – from a nationwide network of dentists. Want to learn more? Give us a call at 1-833-735-0399 or use our calculator below for a quick look at how much you and your child can save.
*Discount Health Program consumer and provider surveys indicate average savings of 50%. Savings may vary by provider, location, and plan.
