Look Inside Young Adult Road Map

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Guiding Star Point Two: Learn System Basics
How Insurance Plans Compare
When there are so many types of insurance plans available, it’s difficult to know
which ones are best to meet your needs. Look at the table below to see the
different types of plans, how you can be eligible for each, and the considerations
to keep in mind.
Source of Plan
Parents’/caregivers’ plan
Eligibility
Must be a dependent (claimed on
parent/guardian’s income tax form as
relying on them for financial support).
Must be less than 26 years old.
Considerations
The stability of your relationship with
your parents/caregivers is important,
as they will need to handle the
paperwork for you.
Public plan
(such as Medicaid)
Community and non-profit
programs that have subsidized
(partly paid) programs for those
who do not qualify for Medicaid.
Through your college/university
Your employer
Must meet state requirements
for income level or disability.
Must meet the requirements
of the plan. These vary.
Must be enrolled in a
college/university that offers health
care services. The school may
require full-time status before you
can be eligible.
May need to be employed full-time
or work a minimum number of hours
each week.
Income and eligibility requirements
for people with disabilities are not
the same for each state. Things
change from one year to the next
based on state budgets. You may
lose Medicaid if your annual income
goes up.
Check with several organizations to
find out if you are eligible. Be sure
to find out (and get a written
explanation) of any amounts you will
owe and find out whether this plan
will allow you to see the providers
you want to see.
Services for certain conditions,
especially mental health services,
may be limited. On the other hand,
you may be able to get many routine
services through the student health
clinic.
You may be required to have annual
screenings or choose from different
policy options during the enrollment
process.
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