|  | Healthcare Industry | Health Insurance

Public Health Insurance for Children

The passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 did not usher in government health insurance, but it did expand current government health benefits available to low-income families. Some families with children may qualify for either Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program coverage under the law, while others may find it easier to find private health coverage.

  1. The Affordable Care Act

    • In March 2010, the Affordable Care Act reformed health insurance for all Americans, including children. The law includes provisions intended to expand the current Medicaid and CHIP coverage in the United States by 2014, eventually insuring approximately 27 percent more people than were previously covered under the programs. Until 2014, children in homes that do not qualify for Medicaid or CHIP may have to purchase private health insurance. But a portion of the Affordable Care Act that went into effect in September 2010 makes it easier for parents to find coverage for their children, as health insurance companies were banned from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.

    Medicaid

    • The Medicaid program is a government subsidy available to qualifying low-income individuals. Medicaid is not health insurance, but instead a program that pays benefits directly to health-care providers who offer services to Medicaid recipients. Children may qualify for Medicaid if they are 18 or younger and part of a family with limited income and resources, as defined by their state of residence. Teenagers who live alone may also qualify for Medicaid, and some states extend coverage to age 21.

    CHIP

    • CHIP, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, is available to children in households that have too much income or too many assets to qualify for Medicaid. Like Medicaid, each state sets its own eligibility guidelines for CHIP, but those accepted into the program will pay very little, if anything, to insure their kids under the program.

    Coverage

    • All public children's health insurance plans provide comprehensive coverage and a range of benefits. In addition to emergency medical services, hospitalizations and doctor's visits, public offerings provide children with dental benefits, prescription drug coverage, mental health benefits, childhood hearing and vision screenings, immunizations and well-child checkups.

Health Insurance - Related Articles