In Michigan, you can usually stay on a parent’s health plan until you turn 26. Losing that coverage at 26 opens a special enrollment period, so you have 60 days before and 60 days after it ends to pick your own plan. If you plan ahead, you can avoid a gap. The rules are the same in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Flint, Traverse City or the Upper Peninsula.
This article is educational. Instant Health Help is a licensed health insurance agency, and our agent, Lobsang Rivas, is licensed in Michigan. We are not HealthCare.gov, MDHHS, or an insurance company. We do not quote prices or name plans here. See the official HealthCare.gov page on turning 26.
The short answer
- Find out the exact date your parent’s plan ends for you.
- Look at your choices: your own job plan, a HealthCare.gov plan, or the Healthy Michigan Plan if your income is low.
- Apply in the 60 days before the coverage ends if you can, so the new plan starts right away.
- Keep proof of the coverage loss, like a letter from the plan or the employer.
When does the parent plan end?
It depends on the kind of plan. HealthCare.gov explains:
- If you are on a parent’s Marketplace plan, you can usually stay on it through December 31 of the year you turn 26.
- If you are on a parent’s job-based plan, coverage usually ends during or shortly after the month you turn 26. Ask the plan or your parent’s HR office for the exact date.
Your 60-day window
Losing coverage at 26 counts as a qualifying event. HealthCare.gov says you can enroll from 60 days before the loss to 60 days after it. If you pick a plan before the coverage ends, the new plan can start the first day of the month after the old one ends. If you pick after, it starts the first day of the month after you choose. Choosing to drop a parent’s plan early does not qualify. See special enrollment periods.
Option 1: a plan from your own job
Many Michigan young adults start their first full-time jobs around this age: auto and parts plants, hospitals, warehouses, offices and the trades. If your employer offers coverage, losing the parent plan usually lets you enroll outside your employer’s open enrollment, but only for a short time. Talk to HR before your birthday.
If your job offers coverage that counts as affordable, you usually can’t get Marketplace savings. Ask us to check the offer with you.
Option 2: a HealthCare.gov plan
Michigan uses HealthCare.gov. Your savings are based on what you expect to earn next year, not last year. A careful estimate helps you avoid a surprise at tax time. Premium tax credits are generally available to households earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Above 400%, the credit generally isn’t available. If you are paid by the gig, by tips, or only during the Up North summer season, see our guide to estimating your income for the Marketplace in Michigan.
Catastrophic plans are for people under 30 or those who qualify for a hardship exemption. They include at least 3 primary care visits before the deductible, but they aren’t eligible for premium tax credits.
If a parent still claims you on their taxes, HealthCare.gov says you can still buy your own plan, but you are listed on your parent’s application instead of your own, so any savings are based on the whole tax household. See the HealthCare.gov page on coverage for young adults.
Option 3: the Healthy Michigan Plan
If your income is low, you may qualify for the Healthy Michigan Plan. MDHHS lists these basics: ages 19 to 64, income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, not eligible for or enrolled in Medicare or other Medicaid, not pregnant when you apply, and living in Michigan. Apply online at MI Bridges, call the Michigan Health Care Helpline at 1-855-789-5610, or visit your local MDHHS office. Medicaid can be requested any time of year.
MDHHS has also announced new work requirements for many Healthy Michigan Plan members. If that may apply to you, read the Healthy Michigan Plan work requirements page. Our guide to the Healthy Michigan Plan vs. the Marketplace explains how the two fit together.
Other changes at the same time
Turning 26 often comes with other changes: finishing school in Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Houghton or Kalamazoo, moving for work, or losing a job. If you lose a job too, read our guide on losing your job and your health insurance in Michigan. For fall dates, see our Michigan open enrollment guide.
How we help
We are licensed in Michigan and help by phone and online, in English or Spanish. Learn more on our Michigan health insurance help page. We can help you find the date your parent’s plan ends, compare a job offer with HealthCare.gov plans, estimate your income, check your doctors and prescriptions, and help you enroll if you decide to. A parent can join the call. The Marketplace and MDHHS decide eligibility.
Want to talk it through?
Have your birthday, the name of the plan you are on now, any job offer details, and a rough idea of your income for next year, and we will go over your options step by step.
Call (321) 315-0054 | agent@inshh.com
You may qualify after tax credits. Eligibility varies.
Featured photo: Mackinac Bridge from the air by Justin Billau, CC BY 2.0, cropped with text added.