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Low-Income Health Insurance for Kids

Preventative health, vision and dental care are essential in ensuring the proper development and overall good health and hygiene for growing boys and girls. Unfortunately, the rising costs of health insurance and a failing economy are making it harder for low-income families to afford adequate health benefits. The good news is, many government agencies provide low-income health insurance for kids who need it.

  1. Medicaid

    • Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance provider that is available to children under 19 years old who reside with low-income families. The Medicaid program is available nationwide to families who have combined incomes at or below 185 percent of the current federal poverty level. It may vary according to your level of income, but in most cases Medicaid covers all expenses for children's doctor's visits, hospital or ER care, dental and vision care at no cost to the parents. You can apply for benefits by visiting your local state department of health and human services.

    CHIP

    • The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a subsidiary of Medicaid that caters to the children of low-income families who have income exceeding the guidelines of Medicaid. CHIP is more like traditional insurance than Medicaid, and approved CHIP applicants are required to pay monthly premiums -- and in some instances co-pays -- for kids' health care services. Basic preventative care such as routine physical and dental exams are provided for free by CHIP, but other more-intensive treatments may require premiums and deductibles. Individual coverage and income guidelines vary by state.

    ALL Kids

    • Numerous states across the country such as Illinois, Alabama, Connecticut and California have a program called ALL Kids. Similar to CHIP, the ALL Kids program is designed for children of families with incomes too high for Medicaid but too low to afford regular health insurance. ALL Kids requires you to pay premiums, deductibles and co-pays for most health care services at a rate much lower than commercial health insurance. Income guidelines vary by state and family size, but most uninsured children under the age of 19 qualify for some level of coverage. In some states, ALL Kids provides medical, dental and mental health care services through Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO networks.

    Kaiser Permanente Child Health Plan

    • Uninsured low-income children who attend California public schools are often eligible to receive discount health insurance coverage through the Kaiser Permanente Child Health Plan (KPCHP). If you live within the KPCHP coverage area in California and your verifiable income is between 200 and 275 percent of the federal poverty level, any children in your household under 19 years old -- and enrolled in school -- will qualify for this coverage. Benefits include hospitalization, medical office visits, dental and vision care and mental health care services. As of 2011, KPCHP co-pays are $5 to $10 and premiums are between $25 and $35 for up to three children with no co-pays for remaining kids of families with four or more children.

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