Can I put my brother on my health insurance?

Question

He no longer has any and can't get any through his employer until January of 2009.

Answer 1

The chances that you'll be able to put him on your health insurance are slim to none, even if he lived with you and was dependent upon you.

A short term medical policy is made for people in his situation. They provide catastrophic, not comprehensive, coverage for a reasonable premium. Visit a local agent that works with all the major companies to find the best policy for him. The agent can explain how a short term policy works. There is no extra charge using an agent.

Be very wary of medical discount cards. They are not regulated by the Department of Insurance nor do the people that sell them need to be licensed. This means you have little recourse when you have problems with the plan. If you are tempted by the low price and claims of “save up to 80%” be aware that very few doctors actually take these cards. It does you little good if you have to drive 4 hours to find a doctor that will accept the card. Montana couldn’t find any doctors in the whole state that actually took the card and only one dentist who was on probation for unlawful activities so they banned the sale of the card and fined the company. See this link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/wes... for more information. Many other states are starting to ban these cards as well.

Before signing up with any discount plan get a list of doctors. If they won’t give you a list consider it to be a scam. Call the doctors on the list to make sure they’re still taking the card (many don’t even know that they’re listed as a provider) and that they’re accepting new patients.

Answer 2

Probably not, I’m afraid.  Typically, the only person you can cover under your health insurance plan is someone who qualifies as a legal dependent.  

However, it sounds like your brother only needs temporary coverage, since his employer will begin covering him in January.  He may want to take a look at a short-term health insurance plan.  These kinds of plans typically provide coverage for between 6-12 months only.  They don’t usually cover things like checkups, prescription drugs, or anything related to a pre-existing medical condition, but they’re often affordable and can provide a valuable layer of protection in case of unexpected injury of hospitalization.

Tell your brother to take a look at his options by talking with a licensed agent or visiting eHealthInsurance.com (where I work) for free quotes and online applications.  He can talk with one of our licensed agents at 1-800-977-8860.

Amir M, licensed agent

Answer 3

If you are the legal guardian of your brother and he is under the age of 19, or in college and under the age of 24, you might be able to add him to your health insurance policy.

If he is under the age of 18, he is eligible under the policy of his legal guardian or biological parent.

If he is 19 and wants to take out an individual health insurance policy until his employer's policy is effective 1/09, do a search by the state he lives in and locate insurance companies that sell insurance in he the state he lives. (All insurance companies are regulated by the individual state level.)The premium is based on age, gender, health status and the level of benefits he purchases. He can purchase a reasonably priced plan to protect himself from a catastrophe illness or accident for $50 per month from a reputable company such as Anthem or United Health Care.

Answer 4

If he is your dependent, possibly, but if he is over 18, and employed, probably not.  You need to ask your benefits coordinator at your work.

Answer 5

Highly unlikely.

Even if he were a full time college student and you were his sole source of support, it would still be unlikely.  If he is a self-supporting adult, forget about it.

But the best way to find out is to ask your employer - they are the ones who ultimately define who is an "eligible dependent" on your policy.

Answer 6

no. you cant.. unless you are his legal guardian and can provide paperwork showing so. (he needs to be a minor)