Can I have my parents on my plan?

No, you generally cannot add your parents as dependents on your individual health insurance plan (whether on or off the Marketplace or thru ICHRA) once you’re an adult over 26.

Here’s why:

• ACA - Individual plan rules only allow you to include a spouse and tax dependents on your plan.

• Parents usually do not qualify as tax dependents unless you provide more than half of their financial support and they meet IRS dependency requirements — which is rare in most adult situations.

• Even if your parents qualify as tax dependents for IRS purposes, most ACA-compliant individual plans and state exchanges do not allow parents to be added as dependents.

 Your parents’ options instead:

• They can buy their own individual plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace (and may qualify for premium tax credits if their income fits).

• If they’re 65 or older, they likely qualify for Medicare.

• If they’re under 65 but low-income, they may qualify for Medicaid depending on your state’s eligibility rules.