Can I add my parents to my health insurance?

She bandaged your knee when you fell off the jungle gym, missed work when you got the flu, and dropped everything to get you to the ER when you cut your finger slicing a bagel.

Now that you’re employed and in a position to look after her, it seems only fair that you add your mother to your health insurance policy so she can stay well into her old age. With that in mind, you may be wondering: Can I add my parents to my health insurance? Turns out it’s not that easy.

Finding out if and How You Can Get Your Parents Covered

While many health insurance plans offer coverage for dependents like children, spouses, and domestic partners, parents often don’t qualify — even if they’re living with you. This is often because if they are aged 65 or older,¹ they may receive health insurance through a government-sponsored Medicare plan.

Still, if you’re set on getting your mom or dad onto your plan, there are a few steps you can take to see if it’s possible.

1. Read the fine print of your health insurance plan.

Before dialing your health insurance representative or combing through the website FAQ for answers, take the old-fashioned route and review your health insurance policy. There, you will find who qualifies as a dependent for health insurance.

• Have an employer-sponsored plan? Talk to Human Resources about whether your coverage will allow you to add a parent.
• Getting your insurance through the health insurance marketplace and filing your taxes with a parent as a dependent? In this case, they may receive coverage under your plan.²
• Is your insurance through the VA? If your parents are in your direct care or their income or net worth is below the legal limit, they can be added to your plan as well.³

2. Know what you need to meet dependent requirements.

For those with other plans that allow for parents to be covered, it’s not as simple as calling up and requesting a change. Often you need to take concrete steps to get your mom or dad covered. This means meeting the dependent requirements, which vary from plan to plan. Some might require your parent or parents to physically live with you and that you financially provide for them to a level that makes them dependent on you.⁴ Other plans may ask you to prove that mom or dad doesn’t file a W-2 with the IRS. More lenient providers may allow your parents to be covered if they reside in an assisted-living facility.

3. Have a backup plan.

If your current health insurance plan doesn’t allow for parents to be added, and your folks aren’t yet 65, you might use the annual enrollment period to shop around for a plan that does consider them dependents. It could take some time to ferret out a plan that meets both your needs and theirs, so give yourself plenty of time to research your options.

Don’t procrastinate! You’ll want to get your ducks in a row well before the health insurance open enrollment period, which is when most providers allow for changes. This is typically November 1 to December 15, but can vary by state and employer.⁵

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