O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 21-149—SB 1004
Insurance and Real Estate Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING DE NTAL AND VISION INSU RANCE
COVERAGE FOR CHILDRE N, STEPCHILDREN AND OTH ER
DEPENDENT CHILDREN
SUMMARY: This act requires certain health, dental, and vision insurance
policies to continue coverage for a child, stepchild, or other dependent child until
the policy anniversary date on or after the date the child turns age 26. Prior law
with respect to health policies (1) did not explicitly apply to stepchildren or other
dependent children and (2) allowed the policies to terminate coverage for children
before age 26 if they obtained coverage through their own employment. In
practice, dental and vision policies often ended coverage for children after age 18.
The act applies to individual and group health insurance policies delivered,
issued, renewed, amended, or continued in Connecticut that cover (1) basic
hospital expenses; (2) basic medical-surgical expenses; (3) major medical
expenses; (4) accidents only; (5) limited benefits; (6) hospital or medical services,
including those provided under an HMO plan; or (7) single service ancillary
coverage, including dental or vision coverage. Because of the federal Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), state insurance benefit mandates do
not apply to self-insured benefit plans.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2022