Health Insurance I’m 24 years old. Is it legal for my parents to discontinue my health insurance if I refuse to give them money toward it? By Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Updated on October 15, 2020 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain our editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. Your parents can discontinue your health insurance whether or not you give them money. There’s no law saying they need to buy or provide it for you. Federal law now requires insurers to give parents the option of keeping their adult children, up to age 26, on their health plan. An insurer can’t deny coverage based on: Financial dependency Residency Student status Employment status Marital status However, this federal law doesn’t require your parents to place or keep you on their health insurance plan. If you can’t go on your parents’ plan, coverage options include: Individual health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges or directly through an insurance company. Plans through the exchanges are eligible for subsidies to help pay for coverage based on your salary. Catastrophic health plans are availabe for people under 30. These plans have low premiums, but offer all the benefits found in standard health insurance. Short-term health plans, which offer low premiums, but with high out-of-pocket costs and limited benefits. These plans are available for a year in most states. If you’re employed, you can also see if you can get covered through your emplyer. If not, check out this page about how to find health insurance when you’re unemployed or between jobs. Penny GusnerContributor . .Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. Related Articles When does health insurance expire after leaving your job? By Casey Bond If both spouses have health insurance which is primary? By Prachi Singh Can I drop my spouse from my health insurance at any time? By Nupur Gambhir How long does it take to add spouse to health insurance? By Huma Naeem Does my deductible start over if I change jobs? By Shivani Gite When does health insurance start at a new job? By Shivani Gite