Personal Eligibility Question

[Tyler Durden]

I don't know if this is appropriate for this forum, I apologize if not, but I have a personal question regarding health insurance eligibility and figured you guys could help me out.

Say there is a husband and wife whom work for the same employer (public school). They have good health insurance through their employer, and the policy is in the wife's name (not sure why) and covers her, the husband, her son from a previous marriage, and his daughter from a previous marriage.

The wife and step daughter cannot get along, to the point the step daughter moves out to live with another family member (older brother) for her senior year of high school (17 years old). Should the step daughter still be eligible to be on her step mother and fathers health insurance plan? I am unfamiliar with the laws and regulations but when I heard she was no longer covered something smelt fishy to me (ie: step mother being vindictive). Is it likely the insurance company found out she doesn't live under their roof anymore and refused to cover her, or am I being overly cynical? How does this differ from a college student being covered until age 24 when he/she is living at school?

Thanks for your input!