Check-ups at the pediatrician's office are free with health insurance.
An estimated 7 million children are without health insurance in the U.S., limiting the quality of medical care they may receive throughout their childhoods. If your child is uninsured, he may qualify for free or low-cost health insurance through government-funded plans, or you may be able to add your child to your employer's health insurance group policy. Regardless of the source of your child's health insurance, U.S. health laws guarantee that your child will have access to free preventive care through your insurance company and that your insurance company will not deny your child health insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition.
Public Insurance
State and federal governments offer millions of children access to government-funded public insurance. To qualify, your household income must fall below the maximum income allowed, a guideline that varies state by state. For example, if your family income is less than 133 percent of the federal poverty line, your children may qualify for Medicaid, which pays for 100 percent of your child's medical needs with no co-pays required. If you make too much for Medicaid, your child may qualify for the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. Income limits for CHIP vary by state as well, but some states accept children into CHIP from households with incomes of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. While CHIP provides comprehensive benefits, you may have to pay a monthly or annual premium, as well as a small co-pay for doctor and emergency room visits.
Employer Insurance
If you have health insurance through your employer, you can add your child to your health plan. While your insurer may not contribute to the premiums for your dependents, the price you pay for insurance through a group plan is often lower than the rates for private health insurance. You may have to wait until your employer's open-enrollment period to add children to your plan unless your insurance company accepts dependents year-round. If you experience the birth of a new baby, however, you have 30 days following the birth to add the child to your insurance policy without having to wait until open enrollment.
Private Insurance
If you do not qualify for government-sponsored insurance and do not have access to an employer's group plan, you may have to purchase an individual private health policy. Though you may spend more for a private insurance plan for your children, the passage of The Affordable Care Act prohibits any health insurance company from denying coverage to your child due to a pre-existing health condition. Unfortunately, the passage of the law caused many insurers to stop offering child-only policies, meaning you may have to purchase health insurance for yourself and add your child to the policy as a dependent.
Coverage
The Affordable Care Act expands insurance coverage for children to ensure access to quality care regardless of a parent's finances. Under the law, all health insurance plans must provide children with access to routine preventive care throughout childhood at no cost to the parent. For example, even with a high-deductible basic insurance plan, your insurance company must pay 100 percent of the costs for vaccinations, hearing screenings, blood pressure checks and check-up visits at the pediatrician's office. You will not pay a co-pay, coinsurance or subject the expenses for preventive care to your annual deductible.
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