Low-cost health insurance for children and families in the United States is primarily provided through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. Recent changes in U.S. health care laws provide additional insurance options that you and your family may find advantageous. A study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2008 found that "Individuals without insurance fared worse than either privately- or publicly-insured individuals on virtually every measure."
Where to Apply
Medicaid is low-cost, publicly-funded health insurance for certain groups at the lowest income levels. States accept Medicaid applications through individual social service agencies at either the county or state level. Each state's Medicaid agency website information is listed at the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services website; contact information is available by searching the Contact Database by state (see Resources). Similarly, applications for CHIP vary by state. The federal Healthcare.gov website links to both public and private insurance information (see Resources).
How to Apply
Application options vary from state to state. For example, North Carolina Medicaid applications are available by phone, Internet or in person and can be done at the local County Department of Social Services or mailed to the same department. In contrast, Texas offers an online and phone application process for its Children's Health Insurance Program, in addition to traditional mail. Typically, you must submit proof of income and assets when you apply.
Medicaid Eligibility
Medicaid eligibility is not based on income alone. According to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, eligibility requirements vary and "...may include your age, whether you are pregnant, disabled, blind, or aged; your income and resources, (like bank accounts, real property, or other items that can be sold for cash); and whether you are a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant." Medicaid was not designed to provide universal coverage for all who are low income, just as Social Security was not designed to provide adequate retirement income.
CHIP Overview
CHIP helps fill the gap between the lowest-income children covered by Medicaid and low-income children who do not qualify for Medicaid. As the organization Families USA explains, CHIP programs "can be simple expansions of the Medicaid coverage already available to children in the state, an entirely separate program, or some combination of these." Like Medicaid, CHIP varies between states on eligibility requirements, coverage and application procedures. The program names also vary by state: Texas's CHIP programs goes by the name Children's Medicaid.
Public and Private Insurance
The federal health care website Healthcare.gov (see Resources) gives the most current information on healthcare changes. A timeline shows the dates that various laws and programs are scheduled to go into effect. This site also can aid you in shopping for public and private insurance options. Without supplying identifying information, consumers can explore plans' monthly cost, annual deductibles, and the percentage of people who were denied coverage.
References
- The Health Care Coverage Analyses of the 2006 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: How to Apply for Medicaid
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission: CHIP/Children's Medicaid
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Overview
- Families USA: Children's Health - About CHIP
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