Shopping for your family’s 2024 health insurance? Here’s a quick heads up: there are certain regulations that may prevent you from including all your family members on your plan. Read our quick guide to make sure you’re getting the right coverage for all your loved ones.

What Is a Dependent?

In general, a dependent is a relative (most commonly a child or spouse) who relies on you for most of their financial support. You must also claim a dependent on your taxes in order to include them on your health plan.

There are different criteria for each category of dependent. Here’s what you need to know:

Children

To determine if your child is an eligible dependent, ask yourself these questions:

Are they related to you? Your biological child, stepchild, adopted child, or foster child in your care could qualify as a dependent on your plan.
Are they young enough? Your child must be under the age of 26.
Insider tip → If your child is currently 25, they can stay on your plan until their 26th birthday, when they will have 120 days to pick their own coverage. Some insurers (like Oscar) will let them stay on your plan until the end of the year.
Do they live with you? In most cases, your child needs to live with you for at least six months of the year.
Insider tip → Children who are away for education or military service can still be considered “at home” with you for health insurance purposes.
Do you provide for the child financially? Children who have jobs must not earn more than half of what it costs to support them.
Do you claim the child on your taxes? Your child cannot file jointly with someone else (e.g. with a spouse) or be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

Spouse

Are you legally married? You can add your spouse as a dependent to your plan. However, if either you or your spouse are eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored plan but choose a family plan instead, it’s unlikely you’ll qualify for a government subsidy to help with your monthly premium costs.

Other Relatives

Certain other relatives (or people who have lived in your home for at least a year) may qualify as dependents in some situations. Ask yourself:

Do you claim this person on your taxes? Your relative cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else’s taxes.
Does this person earn less than $3,000? Your relative must have a gross annual income of under $3,000 to be eligible.
Do you provide for this person financially? Unfortunately, sending an occasional Venmo doesn’t count. You must provide more than half of your relative’s financial support during the year.

Do You Have to Include Dependents on Your Health Plan?

If you include someone as a dependent on your taxes, you must also provide health insurance for them. However, you don’t necessarily have to include all your dependents on the same plan. If a certain family member uses considerably more health care than the others on your plan(e.g. they have a chronic condition like cancer), it may make sense to enroll this person in an individual plan with more coverage and keep the rest of the family on a less-expensive option.

If you want to look at some numbers to see what makes the most sense, enter your relative’s Zip Code below and search for an individual plan for them. Then, follow the instructions in the next section of this page to see if adding a dependent to your current plan makes more sense. If you need help any time during the process, you can call or chat with us.

How Do You Add a Dependent on Stride?

When you start your health insurance search on Stride, you’ll enter your zip code and then be prompted to add any family members you wish to include on your plan. If applicable, first add your spouse. Then, select “Add Dependent” for the child or relative you claim as a dependent.

Already searched for a plan and wish to add dependents retroactively? Just click the “Build Health Profile” section on the left-hand side of the page, and select “Basic Information.”

Other Things to Consider

Unborn children don’t count as dependents
Have a baby on the way? Don’t add them to your plan just yet! Having a baby counts as a qualifying event, so you can enroll in a new plan (or add them to your existing one) once they’re born. Your newborn is automatically covered under your plan for the first 30 days after birth, and you’ll have 60 days to add them as a dependent to your plan.
Include ALL your dependents in your income estimation, even if they’re not on your plan
When applying for a government subsidy, you will be asked to provide your total household size and income. If one of your dependents chooses to get health coverage elsewhere (like through an employer), you should still include them as part of your household for an accurate subsidy estimate. Learn more about estimating your income here.
If someone claims you as a dependent, you can get your own plan... but you’ll pay full price
Looking to enroll in your own health plan? Keep in mind that you won’t be able to get subsidized prices if someone (e.g. a parent) claims you as a dependent. This doesn’t apply to spouses who file their taxes jointly.

Looking to Buy a 2024 Health Plan for Your Family?

Start your search on Stride! We’ll help you instantly compare all your options and find the one that saves you the most money. Start by entering your zip code below.

Adding Dependents to Your Health Insurance Plan