How New Grads Can Buy Health Insurance

New college graduates can stay on their parent's health insurance plans, but they should check out a few other options before they do so.

(Image credit: muharrem öner)

Question:

My daughter just graduated from college and doesn’t yet have a job that offers health insurance. She’s going to be moving to a different state. Can she stay on my insurance?

Answer: She can stay on your policy until age 26, but check whether your plan has in-network providers in her new state. If she goes out of network, she may pay a higher deductible and co-payments, or she may have no coverage except in emergencies. She could also buy a policy through her new state’s insurance exchange. (Healthcare.gov has links to exchanges.) If she’s not financially dependent on you, she may qualify for a government subsidy to help pay premiums. Subsidies are available to singles earning up to $48,240 in 2018.

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Or she could get a “catastrophic plan,” available to people younger than 30, which offers low premiums but higher deductibles and no subsidy. Catastrophic policies sold on eHealthInsurance.com last year cost an average of $201 per month, says Lisa Zamosky, of eHealthInsurance.

Kimberly Lankford
Contributing Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.