BROWNLEY INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO EXPAND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO FEDERAL WORKERS' CHILDREN

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- Rep. Julia Brownley, D-California, issued the following news release on Jan. 18, 2024:

Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced the introduction of the Fix FEDVIP Age Act, legislation which would allow children of federal workers and retirees to remain eligible for health care coverage under the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) until the age of 26, like the coverage benefit under the Affordable Care Act for private-sector insurance plans, as well as the military's TRICARE program.

"Millions of federal employees, retirees, and their families rely on FEDVIP for their dental and vision needs - including many of the federal workers at Naval Base Ventura County. A discrepancy in current law leaves millions of children without an option to continue on their parents' dental and health insurance - solely for being children of federal workers," said Congresswoman Brownley. "My bill not only fixes this inequity, but it expands access to these essential benefits until the age of 26, similar to the coverage in the Affordable Care Act and TRICARE. This bill ensures that our federal workforce remains strong and their children are healthy."

One of the most popular and widely known benefits of the Affordable Care Act allows children to stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26. Similar to private insurance plans and TRICARE, children of federal employees and retirees are able to remain on their parents' plan under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program until they turn 26. However, this age 26 rule was not applied to the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and this same group loses their dental and vision four years earlier, at 22. The Fix FEDVIP Age Act addresses this oversight in current law.

Across the country, 8.2 million people rely on the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for their healthcare and 3.5 million utilize FEDVIP for their dental and vision care.

Congresswoman Brownley also introduced legislation (H.R. 2414) to extend coverage through age 26 under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).

Read the full text of the Fix FEDVIP Age Act, here (https://juliabrownley.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BROWCA_082_xml.pdf).

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Original text here: https://juliabrownley.house.gov/brownley-introduces-legislation-to-expand-equitable-access-to-health-care-coverage-to-federal-workers-children/