29 U.S.C. § 1185c: Coverage of dependent students on medically necessary leave of absence

commences while such child is suffering from a serious illness or injury; is medically necessary; and causes such child to lose student status for purposes of coverage under the terms of the plan or coverage. the date that is 1 year after the first day of the medically necessary leave of absence; or the date on which such coverage would otherwise terminate under the terms of the plan or health insurance coverage. is a dependent child, under the terms of the plan or coverage, of a participant or beneficiary under the plan or coverage; and was enrolled in the plan or coverage, on the basis of being a student at a postsecondary educational institution (as described in subsection (a)), immediately before the first day of the medically necessary leave of absence involved. Paragraph (1) shall apply to a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered by an issuer in connection with such plan only if the plan or issuer of the coverage has received written certification by a treating physician of the dependent child which states that the child is suffering from a serious illness or injury and that the leave of absence (or other change of enrollment) described in subsection (a) is medically necessary. A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, shall include, with any notice regarding a requirement for certification of student status for coverage under the plan or coverage, a description of the terms of this section for continued coverage during medically necessary leaves of absence. Such description shall be in language which is understandable to the typical plan participant. A dependent child whose benefits are continued under this section shall be entitled to the same benefits as if (during the medically necessary leave of absence) the child continued to be a covered student at the institution of higher education and was not on a medically necessary leave of absence. a dependent child of a participant or beneficiary is in a period of coverage under a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan, pursuant to a medically necessary leave of absence of the child described in subsection (b); the manner in which the participant or beneficiary is covered under the plan changes, whether through a change in health insurance coverage or health insurance issuer, a change between health insurance coverage and self-insured coverage, or otherwise; and the coverage as so changed continues to provide coverage of beneficiaries as dependent children,