EmblemHealth Will Extend Coverage for Young Adults

NEW YORK, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- EmblemHealth, through its companies HIP and GHI, today announced that effective June 1, 2010  in order to ease the transition to health care reform, it will continue health insurance coverage for currently enrolled young adult dependents of small group or direct pay policy holders. Without this change, these members would otherwise have had their coverage interrupted while waiting for the recently enacted federal health care reform to take effect in September.

Many young adults lose eligibility as dependents on their parents' policies because of age or change in student status.  The new law extends a safety net to this population.

Under the new federal health care reform bill, dependents who do not have coverage from their own employer may stay on their family policy until age 26.  This new policy, however, does not begin to take effect until September 23.  EmblemHealth's decision to go beyond the law's requirement and fill in the coverage gap that might occur before the law takes effect demonstrates a commitment to both observe the spirit of the federal mandate and to best serve the needs of its members.

EmblemHealth will also discuss options with its large group customers on a group-by-group basis to ensure that their needs and those of their employees continue to be met.

Additional information will be available as implementation plans for this transitional coverage are finalized.

About EmblemHealth:

EmblemHealth, Inc., through its companies Group Health Incorporated (GHI) and HIP Health Plan of New York (HIP) provides affordable, quality health care coverage and administrative services to approximately 3.4 million people.  Groups and individuals can choose from a variety of PPO, EPO and HMO programs, as well as prescription drug, dental and vision plans.  Plans offer a choice of networks, including access to over 106,000 quality doctors and other health care professionals and most of the leading hospitals across the tristate region. For more information, visit www.emblemhealth.com.

SOURCE EmblemHealth