Getting Health Insurance For A Child Who Has Pre-Existing Conditions?
It can be absolutely heartbreaking to watch a child experience a serious illness, but it can be a nightmare if you have no access to health insurance. Many insurance providers will refuse coverage for children with pre-existing conditions, but you can fight it.
Fight it
Insurance companies only want to cover the healthy. Children’s insurance is usually comparatively inexpensive, but if a child has a pre-existing condition, some disease that might cost them a lot of money to treat, they’ll deny you. But you can always appeal a decision, which usually involves getting a testimony from doctors that your child is (basically) healthy, and a whole lot of other paperwork. One strategy insurers often use is putting a lot of red tape in your way in hopes you’ll give up. Don’t.
Go with a group
Group insurance plans, like the kind you enroll in through work, are often better than individual plans you may purchase on your own. By pooling a group of generally healthy people together, they save costs and thus are able to cover more conditions. Plus, a lot of employers’ insurance plans guarantee coverage for family members. See if you can’t get on a group insurance plan through an employer or through other programs, called cooperatives. For families with extremely sick kids, a change in jobs for better insurance may be worth it.
Go through your state
Lots of states, recognizing the gap left by personal insurance, have programs specifically aimed at kids that guarantee insurance to every child in the state. Many allow you to sign up online, or you can go to your local health department to sign up. They usually offer low premiums, and some operate on sliding scales based on income.
Talk to health care providers
If your child is seeing specialist after specialist, these doctors are usually familiar with insurance woes and how to get care for the kids who need it. Talk to them, because many doctors will charge less for visits and procedures if they know you’re paying out of pocket, and because they may have connections or know of programs, like childrens’ hospitals, that can provide high-quality, low-cost care.
Related posts:
- How Long Can My Child Remain On My Health Insurance Maryland?
- How Long Can Dependent Child Remain On Group Health Insurance In Florida?
- What Are Employer Obligations When Offering Health Insurance?
- What Does New York Health Insurance Law Cover?
- How Do Health Insurance Companies Check For Pre-Existing Conditions?
Tags: health insurance, healthcare insurance, medical insurance, pre existing condition insurance, pre-existing condition