How can I insure my child?

Regular health care is crucial to your child’s health. Well-child doctor’s visits may include checkups to look for signs of illness and immunizations to prevent communicable diseases. Your child’s physical, behavioral, and cognitive development will be assessed to ensure it is on track. Your child’s primary care physician may also include nutrition or safety counseling as well.

Health insurance can dramatically reduce your costs for well-child and emergency health care. Many people prefer to add their children to their family health insurance policy or include their children on their employer’s group coverage, but this solution may not be appropriate for everyone. If this sounds like you, you may wonder how you can insure your child on his or her own policy instead.

California has an open enrollment period during which you will be able to enroll your child in a children health insurance policy. This period begins on New Year’s Day and continues through March 1. Pre-existing conditions will not cause your child’s application to be denied during this time period.

You may also have as many as 63 days after certain qualifying events, including:
•    A loss of coverage due to a change in employment status
•    A loss of coverage due to legal separation, divorce, or death of a parent or guardian
•    A loss of coverage under the Healthy Families Program, the Access for Infants and Mothers Program, or Medi-Cal
The child may also qualify for enrollment in a plan outside the open enrollment period if he or she is adopted or becomes a permanent resident of the state.

Health coverage for children can grant your family access to critical preventative care measures, such as well-child visits, immunizations, and screenings. Insurance can also protect your family’s finances in the case of any serious illness or health care emergency.

 

 

Source: Los Angeles Health Care

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