Health Insurance for Children Only No Longer Available

Parents looking to purchase health insurance for a “child only” recently were met with an unexpected surprise. There were no insurance plans available to cover only a child or children. When the first real wave of provisions under the new health care reform law took effect recently, insurance companies were mandated to accept all children regardless of health conditions and without any pre-existing condition waivers, limitations or waiting periods. Insurers promptly ceased to sell insurance coverage to children without an adult to be covered on the policy as well.

Just like many of the initial health care reform mandates, this part of the law can be seen as positive until you examine the potential effect. Mandating insurance companies to accept unacceptable risks wreaks of government-run health care. Forcing an insurance company to cover an uninsured child who is about to undergo a major surgery is no different that mandating an insurer to write a fire insurance policy on a house that is already on fire. No insurance company or any company in any other line of business would knowingly purchase a “loss”. This philosophy is contrary to free enterprise and capitalism. Insurance should be purchased to cover “potential losses”. The new health care reform law encourages irresponsibility since someone can now wait to face a “guaranteed loss” before making the insurance purchase. Who do you think will pay for all of this?

If you need to insure a child now, there must be a least one adult age 19 or older on the policy as well. Here are some options to consider:

You can cover your children as long as one Healthy Foods Near Me child on the plan is at least age 19.

Consider adding the child or children to your employer’s group plan.

Consider removing your spouse from your employer’s group plan Self Awareness Mental Health and purchase an individual policy for the spouse and children.

Until further clarifications and modifications are made regarding health care reform, the options for covering children are few.