Extend health benefits to elderly dependents in your care Across the country, people are opening their homes and their hearts to care for aging loved ones, yet our insurance system hasn't caught up. Most family health plans only cover spouses, domestic partners, and children. If the person you care for is a parent, a relative, next of kin, or a close family friend you've taken in as your own, they typically can't be added to your plan, even if they live with you full time and depend on you completely. This is a real and growing challenge. Today, an estimated 63 million Americans provide unpaid care to a loved one, nearly 1 in 4 adults, an increase of nearly 50% since 2015. The 2025 edition of Caregiving in the US, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, reveals a rapidly evolving caregiving landscape that now includes 63 million Americans. Many of these caregivers are also raising children of their own: nearly 1 in 3 caregivers are also raising children under 18 while caring for an adult loved one, a figure that rises to 47% among caregivers under 50. The financial toll is significant. The average family caregiver spends around $7,200 per year out of pocket on caregiving expenses, and 90% of family caregivers contribute some form of financial support to their loved one's care. On top of these costs, caregivers are often left to find and pay for a separate insurance plan for the person they love, one that can cost far more than simply extending the coverage they already have. The strain isn't just financial. Nearly half of caregivers report at least one major financial impact, such as taking on debt, stopping savings, or being unable to afford food. These are people showing up every day for someone they love, and the system should make that easier, not harder. We're asking insurance carriers, employers, and lawmakers to update eligibility rules. If an elderly person lives full time with you and depends on you as their caregiver, and you can prove it with a lease, utility bill, or government ID, they should be able to join your family medical plan, just like a spouse, domestic partner, or child would. If you've experienced this challenge yourself, or know someone who has, please sign and share this. Every signature helps send a message to the people who can make this change. https://c.org/n7X6WVVnKn *Sources: AARP/National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the US 2025; Caregiver Action Network, 2025 caregiver statistics.*