Health Insurance for Babies -- eHealthInsurance Describes Coverage Options for New Parents
(firmenpresse) - MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/15/12 -- Today (NASDAQ: EHTH), the leading online source of for individuals, families and small businesses, described different health insurance options that new or expecting parents should consider for coverage of newborns.
Many new and expecting parents today express uncertainty or confusion about the health insurance options available for their new babies. This is especially true of the large number of new parents without employer-sponsored health insurance.
The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows adult children to stay on a parent's health insurance policy until age 26 but grandchildren are not eligible for coverage under the same policy. The ACA also prevents insurers from declining coverage for children under age 19 based solely on the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only individual health insurance policies are not readily available in many states.
The coverage scenarios and tips described below are provided to help consumers better understand coverage options for newborns. eHealthInsurance recommends that consumers contact their employers or work with a licensed health insurance agent like eHealthInsurance to better understand their personal choices.
If you or your child's other parent are currently covered under an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, this is often your baby's best coverage option. Employer-based plans tend to provide robust benefits that may include preventive checkups, well-baby visits and immunizations -- often at no or little out-of-pocket cost. A few considerations:
The child may be covered under either parent's employer plan (or both), even if the parents aren't married
Adding a dependent may substantially increase the amount the employee is required to contribute from his or her paycheck towards the monthly premium
You don't need to wait for the employer's open enrollment period to add a newborn to your plan but must typically enroll the baby within a specific time-frame, typically thirty days after birth
If you miss the enrollment window, you may want to consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care or regular checkups
Contact your Human Resources department or benefits administrator before your child is born to make sure that you understand how the enrollment process works and how much additional money will be withheld from your paycheck for dependent coverage
Individually-purchased health insurance plans may provide coverage for individuals or for families. The 2010 Affordable Care Act strengthened these plans by doing away with lifetime coverage limits for basic covered services and making certain preventive care services available at no out-of-pocket cost. According to eHealth, Inc's , the average monthly premium paid for a family of two or more in 2011 was $414 per month* Nearly nine in ten (88.8%) of the plans surveyed in the report included well-baby coverage.
If you already have an individually-purchased policy, contact your licensed agent or insurer to learn how to add a dependent and how much your monthly premiums may increase as a result
Be sure to add your newborn as a dependent within the "qualifying event" period, typically thirty days following birth
When applying or re-applying for individual or family coverage it is possible for adults age 19 and over to be declined coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions; such a decline may result in the decline of the application as a whole, including for the coverage of dependents
"Child-only" plans are individual health insurance policies made available to children age 18 and under with no parent or guardian listed on the same policy. The 2010 health reform law prevents insurers from declining applications for children based solely on pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only policies are not available in many states, and states where child-only policies are available may limit enrollment to designated open enrollment periods or only with the occurrence of a "qualifying event."
Find out if child-only plans are available in your state by contacting your state department of insurance or a licensed agent
Review eHealthInsurance's recently published chart describing the availability of
Birth may be considered a qualifying event and enrollment may be allowed within a specific period of time after birth in states where child-only health insurance plans are available
In states where child-only plans are not available you may still be able to apply for an individually-purchased family plan with yourself as the policyholder and your child as a dependent, but remember that the application may be declined due to your own pre-existing medical conditions
If no other options are open to you and you can't afford coverage on your own, you may qualify for government assistance. Depending on your income, you and/or the baby may qualify for Medicaid. In some states there may be other programs available specifically for uninsured infants and children.
Contact your state department of insurance or the non-profit Foundation for Health Coverage Education () to learn more
If you face an enrollment delay with a government program, consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care and regular checkups
NOTES:
*Based on a survey of over 100,000 family plans purchased through eHealthInsurance.com and with coverage in effect as of February 2011. Read the .
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eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation's leading online source of , families and small businesses. Through the company's website, , consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making it the ideal model of a successful, high-functioning . Through the company's eHealthTechnology solution (), eHealth is also a leading provider of health insurance exchange technology. eHealthTechnology's exchange platform provides a suite of hosted e-commerce solutions that enable health plan providers, resellers and government entities to market and distribute products online. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help seniors navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through its wholly-owned subsidiary, PlanPrescriber.com () and through its Medicare website .
For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealthInsurance consumer blog: .
Sande Drew
eHealth, Inc.
(916) 207-7674
Kris Kraves
Cogenta Communications
(805) 527-7733 - direct
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Datum: 15.03.2012 - 13:00 Uhr
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