Dependent age 26 calculator: when does a child’s coverage end?
Enter the child’s date of birth and your plan’s rule to see the date coverage ends and the deadlines that follow. Built for HR teams that handle age-out notices and want the date right the first time.
Find the last day of dependent coverage.
Set the date of birth and the plan rule. The dates update as you type.
Check the rule in your plan document or ask the carrier.
Your age-out dates
A planning estimate, not legal advice. Plans choose their own end rule within the federal limit. Check the date against your plan document.
What does the federal age-26 rule require?
A group health plan that offers dependent coverage has to make it available until the child turns 26. The child does not have to live with the parent, be a student or be financially dependent. The plan can end coverage on the birthday, at the end of that month or at the end of that year, as long as it applies the same rule to everyone.
What happens at the age-out date?
Loss of eligibility at 26 is a COBRA qualifying event and a special enrollment event. The family usually has 60 days to tell the plan about the event for COBRA, and 30 days to enroll in another group plan. The employer should send the COBRA notice on time so the child has a real chance to continue coverage.
Common questions
Does the rule apply to a married child?
Yes. A child can stay on the plan until 26 whether married or not. The plan is not required to cover the child’s spouse or children.
Does a plan have to cover a child past 26 if disabled?
The federal rule stops at 26, but many plans keep an adult child who is disabled and dependent. Check the plan document for a disabled-dependent provision.
Can the plan end coverage on the birthday?
Yes. A plan can end coverage on the 26th birthday, at the end of that month or at the end of that year, so long as it applies the same rule to everyone. The rule is in the plan document and the carrier contract.
Is this different for a Michigan plan?
The federal rule sets the minimum. Fully insured plans can be subject to state rules, so confirm the end date with the carrier.
Laws and rules referenced
42 U.S.C. § 300gg-14 and 29 C.F.R. § 2590.715-2714 — Dependent children must be offered coverage until age 26.
26 U.S.C. § 105(b) — Reimbursements for medical care, including for children until the end of the year they turn 26, are excluded from income.
This tool gives estimates for education, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm your situation with a qualified advisor.
Talk to us about dependent eligibility
Book a 30-minute call and we will check your plan document, the carrier file and the notices that go out at age 26. Visit us at 41000 Woodward Avenue, Suite 350 East, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304, or call 248.370.8853.
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