Question: My daughter is 19, a full time student, and lives at home. Do I have to cover her under my plan at work, or can she apply for covered California on her own? Thank you.

Answer: Yes, you are generally required to cover your dependents with your employer-based coverage. There are alternatives for some people: (1) If your household income is low enough (for example, less than $42,000/year for a two-person household), your children would be eligible for Medi-Cal and she can enroll without considering the availability of group coverage through your work. (2) She can also waive coverage on your group plan and enroll in a Covered California, but that would be without premium assistance. (3) Student health plans are viewed as minimum acceptable coverage by the ACA so that could work too.