Our 21 year old son has just graduated from college, and we are pursuing COBRA health insurance coverage, only to learn that it will cost $435 per month. We know we need this coverage until he is in a stable position, but our income isn’t sufficient to for these high premiums. My husband and I are each working more than one job, so extra work is really not possible. Do you have any suggestions?

Many group health policies that provide family coverage age out for children on their 19th birthday but will extend to age 23 so long as they are full time students. So as I see it, either your child needs to find a job, any job, that offers health insurance or he needs to get back into school full time. Another option is for him to enroll in the Medicaid program. He will have to show that he is not your dependent and that he does not possess assets or income above the guidelines established by the state in which he lives. He can get more information about the Medicaid program from the web or by contacting his local social services department.

DSH