New Federal Law Applies to Health Insurance Providers

A federal law that took effect this month will now require health insurance providers to maintain coverage for students on their parents' plans even when they become too sick to attend class.

The law, known as "Michelle's Law," originated in New Hampshire and was named after a student named Michelle Morse who was required to continue attending classes full time to preserve her health coverage, despite a recent cancer diagnosis and ensuing chemotherapy treatments.

After Morse died in 2005 at age 25 soon after graduation, her family launched an effort to change the law in New Hampshire to spare other families from having to endure a similar situation.

That effort proved successful, and an effort to make the law apply nationwide soon gained bipartisan support from the state's congressional delegation.

"This law will make a big difference to countless families across the nation as it has done in New Hampshire. This law ensures that families are able to focus on the care and recovery of their college age child, instead of worrying about how they will keep the insurance they have," said Senator Judd Gregg, who authored the Senate version of the legislation that now applies to health insurance providers nationwide.

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