Can parents exclude their adult dependent from their health insurance plan?

: Can parents kick their adult dependent off their health insurance plan?
One of my friends is 18 years old and a full-time student. He is planning on using his parents’ health insurance plan (which he is under) to get therapy. His parents don’t approve. He is afraid they will kick him off of their health insurance. Is this possible? Can they do this and still claim him as a dependent on their taxes?

Answers and Views:

Answer by StephenWeinstein
Yes.

Yes, it is possible to kick him off of their health insurance.

They can still claim him as a dependent if all of the requirements for doing so are met. It is theoretically possible that kicking him off their health insurance might make a difference in whether he or they pays over 1/2 his support, and that could have an effect on whether he can be claimed. It is neither automatic nor likely. If they can claim him now, then they will probably, but not definitely, still be able to claim him as a dependent.

Answer by Ivy
Whichever parent carries the health insurance on him can change coverage during open enrollment with his or her employer. If that does happen he would be notified either by the insurance company or the parent’s employer. He should call the HR department where his parent’s work and find out when that might be and get his therapy started before that happens. Hopefully he would get some relief from his problems before his parents cut off his insurance. He should also start looking around for some insurance to cover major illnesses. The higher the deductible he goes for the cheaper it would be. He might be able to get some through his college.

Maybe he could get an older relative to talk some sense into his parents.

Answer by the tax lady
While the government changed the rules and said parents CAN keep their under-26 year old children on their insurance policies, the parents don’t have to.

Whether or not they cover him on their insurance is totally unrelated to their tax forms.

Answer by Flower
His parents have a choice to keep him covered under their insurance. It is not mandatory since he is 18. Also, they can still claim him as a dependent on their tax return since that has nothing to do with him being covered on their policy.

Answer by Calvin C
Parents do not have to pay for his health insurance ever even as a baby. HI is a privilege not a right in the USA. Your friend may also e kicked out of college as some require proof of health insurance to attend. All colleges and or students have cheap great coverage available. Generally speaking though a family policy cost the same whether or not there are children so no benefit to dropping him.

Answer by Heather
Yes it is possible for parents to stop providing health coverage for their dependent adult child who is a full time student. They can do this and still claim him as a dependent on their taxes. Health coverage for your friend results in a smaller paycheck for the parent providing the coverage. Many parents cannot afford the cost of insuring their children once they reach 18.

Answer by mbrcatz
Absolutely. They can even kick their CHILD dependents off their health insurance.

His parents are NOT required to provide him with health insurance.

Answer by Insurance Pickle.com
Yes they can. If it’s through group, they can do it at open enrollment (once a year). If it’s individual coverage then they can do it at any time.