Medical Health Insurance for Children
- Child only policies - have disappeared despite the law's intent
- Children's health insurance programs (CHIP) - the most common place to look.
- Adult children - can stay on parent health insurance policies to age 26.
Child Health Insurance Only
Child health insurance only policies have been in the news lately. The Affordable Care Act contained provisions directly addressing health insurance for children. But like many government programs the unintended consequences hurt the people the program was intended to help – uninsured children.
According to Healthcare.gov “Under the Affordable Care Act, health plans cannot limit or deny benefits or deny coverage for a child younger than age 19 simply because the child has a ‘pre-existing condition’—that is, a health problem that developed before the child applied to join the plan.” The rule went into effect on September 23, 2010.
The immediate response from the majority of insurers: withdraw from the child health insurance only market. Overnight the child health insurance market disappeared. The concern was that parents would delay buying coverage when their children were healthy, waiting for their child to become seriously ill before opting for mandated coverage. The only parents buying coverage would be those with very sick children driving premiums through the roof.
The debate surrounding child only plans continues. Meanwhile, parents needing coverage must turn to the government sponsored plans described below.
Hospital Indemnity Insurance Hospital Indemnity Insurance is an often overlooked health benefit for children. When bought prior to conception the coverage pays extra benefits when your infant is confined to Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU). Twelve percent of all pregnancies are delivered pre-term and these babies are often seriously ill.
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Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federally funded plan that provides free and low cost coverage for children up to the age of 19. Children in families with incomes as high as $44,100 per year (for a family of four), may qualify for coverage.
Each state designs own program so plans will vary for factors such as: eligibility, premium cost, co payments, deductibles, etc. Contact your state office for more details.
Medical Health Insurance for Children – Dependents to Age 26
Medical Health insurance for adult children to age 26 was also addressed by the Affordable Care Act. Beginning on September 23, 2010, most health insurance plans that cover children must make coverage available to a child up to age 26.
Your child is covered even if they are married or single, not living with you, not enrolled in college, not financially dependent with you, and eligible to enroll in their own employer sponsored plan.
