On May 12, KFF released a brief examining the national health care reform law's expansion of coverage to dependents up to age 26.  The brief answers questions about the extension and explains how it will interact with existing state laws.

From the report: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010 requires private insurers that offer dependent coverage to children to allow young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parent’s insurance plan.  Extending dependent coverage has received a great deal of attention because it is one of the first provisions that goes into effect and because it increases the availability of health insurance to a population that currently has a high uninsured rate. This summary provides responses to basic questions about the dependent coverage expansion and explains how the new law will interact with current state laws.

Full report:  Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About the Extension of Dependent Coverage to Age 26 (PDF | 170.78 KB)

Kaiser Family Foundation.  (2010).  Explaining health care reform: questions about the extension of dependent coverage to age 26.