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Benefits May 3, 2010
Unum to Cover Adult Children ahead of Reform Deadline
May 3, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Unum officials announced that the company is beginning to comply with new health care reform legislation by extending medical coverage eligibility to certain adult children of employees effective May 1.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
Unum executives decided that extending eligibility to adult dependent children, ahead of the September 23 deadline required by the new health care bill, would benefit a number of employees and their families, according to the announcement.
Children currently covered under Unum’s medical plan will be able to remain on the plan until age 26, and adult children under age 26 who are not currently covered will be eligible to enroll in the medical plan during the company’s fall enrollment period for coverage beginning January 1, 2011.
Unum officials stressed that there will be no increases in the cost of health care benefits for employees during 2010 as a result of this change, but that future costs as a result of health care reform are being studied.
Humana, Kaiser Permanente, and WellPoint previously announced they would also extend coverage to adult children ahead of the reform deadline (see Insurers Beat Health Care Reform Deadline on Adult Children Coverage).