Health Insurance If I get married while I’m on my parents’ health insurance plan, can I stay on the plan until I turn 26? By Barbara Marquand | Updated on October 15, 2020 Why you should 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 editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. You can stay on your parents’ health plan until you turn 26, regardless of: Your marital status Where you live Whether you go to school Whether you’re financially independent However, the health insurance plan doesn’t have to cover your new spouse or your children. The rule requiring health plans to extend coverage to children up to age 26 is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the landmark health care reform law passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in March 2010. The provision for young adults went into effect in September of that year, and it applies to all individual health plans and new employer-sponsored plans that offer coverage to dependents. Adding a child to a health plan usually doesn’t increase rates if you have family coverage. However, if a parent has single coverage and has to get family coverage to add you to the plan, that could double or triple premiums. Related Articles How to add a spouse to your health insurance plan 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 Can I drop my spouse from my health insurance at any time? By Nupur Gambhir When does health insurance expire after leaving your job? By Casey Bond If both spouses have health insurance which is primary? By Prachi Singh