One of the puzzles about health care reform is that when a benefit many people said that they wanted becomes available, it then is viewed as a problem by employers even if it is inexpensive.

It may be that the scale of health care reform is so large that employers are taking a wait-and-see attitude so that they can figure out what their liabilities are or whether lawsuits seeking to overturn the law will succeed.

However, this likely will be one of the least expensive and most appreciated benefits organizations can offer its workers.

Many parents, whose children are in their 20s and not working where insurance is available (if at all), have wanted to be able to keep their children on their policies—a cheap fix.

People in their 20s have relatively few medical problems. On the other hand, it takes only one serious car wreck or an atypical cancer to put a young adult in financial as well as medical trouble with no health plan. This age group is called the “invincibles” by care-givers and health plans alike. They never think anything will happen to them. Their parents know otherwise.

The New York Times

“WASHINGTON — Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said Thursday that employers should immediately offer or continue health insurance coverage for workers’ children up to the age of 26, at little or no additional cost.

“Employers will have to offer such coverage under the new health care law, and Ms. Sebelius said they should act sooner, without waiting for the requirement to take effect.

“At the request of the Obama administration, more than 65 insurers have already agreed to allow young adults to stay on their parents’ policies before the insurers are required to do so, under the new law, later this year or early next year. (Emphasis added)

“Relatively few employers, however, have modified their health plans to make this option available to employees.”

Source: New York Times, May 27,2010