Independent Health Insurance For Children

If your employer does not provide health insurance, independent health insurance is necessary to provide coverage for your children. Private insurance is usually an option, but with changes in federal health insurance regulations taking effect in September 2010, some private insurers stopped offering children-only policies. Government programs are available to provide independent coverage for your children if you meet certain income requirements.

Private Health Insurance

On Sept. 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act took effect with several provisions causing many private insurers to alter their child-only policies. The new law prohibits insures from denying coverage to anyone 19 years old or younger who has a preexisting medical condition. This prohibition also pertains to any new child-only policy. Because insurers believe that parents will wait until their children become sick before purchasing insurance, insurers in several states have taken steps to limit child-only policies or eliminate them altogether. In California, a number of large insurers were reportedly set to omit child-only policies. In New Mexico, one of the state's largest insurers intends to limit the enrollment period for child-only policies to one month a year. These actions will have the effect of reducing the number of children covered by private insurance under independent policies.

Medicaid

If your children are not covered by health insurance and are in need of medical attention, you should apply for Medicaid. This government program is intended for low-income families with funds primarily provided by the federal government and the program administered through state agencies. Medicaid eligibility varies from state to state due to the difference among state regarding their contributions to the program. The only way to determine if your child qualifies for Medicaid coverage is to submit an application with your state's Medicaid office.

Children's Health Insurance Program

If your child does not qualify for Medicaid because your income is too high, health insurance may be available from another government program known as the Children's Health Insurance Program, also called CHIP. The program is similar to Medicaid in that it is primarily funded by the federal government and administered by the states. Each state has the leeway to determine the extent of coverage provided under its CHIP program, but federal rules require basic coverage, such as dental care and immunizations.

State CHIP Providers

The federal government provides information about each state's CHIP provider on its website Insure Kids Now. Also included on the site is a feature to locate the CHIP provider in every state, many of whom have unique names, such as KidCare in Florida and BadgerCare Plus in Wisconsin. These programs are designed to cover children of working families who do not have insurance through their employment or cannot afford private insurance.

Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act

The original CHIP legislation contained a 10-year expiration date unless renewed by subsequent legislation. The program was renewed in 2009 by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. The new expiration date for the program is 2013. The renewal legislation also included additional provisions that allocated more funding for CHIP so that the program can be expanded to cover more children.