Employers and Employees

Who Can be Covered

In addition to offering coverage for employees, your business may choose offer coverage to employees’ families. As the business owner, you do not have to contribute to the cost of premiums for employees’ dependents. By making coverage available to employees’ dependents, you can allow them to access health insurance coverage at affordable group rates.

If your business offers Healthy NY, you may offer coverage to:

• Employees, including the business owner;
• Employees’ same-and opposite-sex spouses, if residing in the household;
• Employees’ domestic partners, if you wish to make domestic partner coverage available (the employer may also decide whether to make coverage available to same-sex domestic partners, opposite-sex domestic partners, or both);
• Employees’ children to age 26.

Children do not need to live in the employee’s household in order to be covered.  Stepchildren may also be covered.

You may be able to purchase coverage for certain eligible children through the age of 29. Contact your insurance company for more information regarding eligibility and the cost of the coverage.

For more information on coverage options for adult dependents, please visit the Department's Website at: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/health/S6030_Age29.htm.