NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 26, 2024 / Good health during childhood can help set children up for a happy and healthy adulthood. However, medical care can be expensive, especially since children may need more frequent doctor visits to monitor their development and receive treatment for common childhood illnesses.
Health insurance for children coordinates medical coverage to help parents pay for the costs associated with these treatments. Many options exist, from private plans to government-sponsored programs for families who meet certain income thresholds.
This article will explain what health insurance for children covers and dive into some supplemental insurance policies you can purchase to gain additional coverage.
How Children's Health Insurance Works
Children's health insurance helps parents cover various medical costs for their children. These can include:
Preventative care (physicals, checkups)
Vaccinations
Medications
Emergency care
With children's health insurance, parents can ensure their children will have access to the pediatric care needed to maintain good health and correct potential issues as the child grows.
Parents can get children's health insurance through employer-sponsored health plans, individual plans via private insurers, and government programs like the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Rates and terms vary by plan, so parents should understand how each type of plan works and shop for multiple quotes to get the best coverage.
Three Supplemental Insurance Policies to Cover Your Children
Here are three supplemental health insurance policies to fill gaps in your child's health coverage and provide additional peace of mind:
1. Accident Insurance
Accident insurance helps protect you financially if your child suffers an injury due to an accident, such as a car crash or sports injury. This type of plan pays out a lump sum cash benefit you can use for anything, such as covering emergency transportation and paying for treatment costs. As a result, it helps fill in the gaps traditional health insurance might not cover. These policies can benefit families with active children.
2. Dental and Vision Insurance
Traditional health insurance does not cover most forms of dental and vision care. Dental and vision insurance provides that coverage.
Dental insurance helps reduce the costs of your child's dental care. Many policies may cover the full cost of routine care, such as semi-annual cleanings/exams and annual X-rays. They may also cover 50% to 80% of basic and major services, such as root canals, fillings, and oral surgery. Some policies may provide orthodontic benefits for an extra cost to cover braces, retainers, and similar devices.
Dental insurance can help your child maintain good oral health and learn oral hygiene habits as they grow. It may also help catch and correct early signs of potential problems.
Vision insurance works like dental insurance but for your child's optical health. It may cover annual exams and most or all the cost of corrective glasses, frames, or contact lenses. This helps keep their eyes healthy and correct problems before they worsen.
3. Critical Illness Insurance
It can be stressful if your child is diagnosed with a severe illness. Health insurance helps but doesn't always cover the total costs of the expensive treatments involved. Critical illness insurance can help relieve the financial strain by providing a lump sum to cover treatment costs. With these extra funds, you can ensure your child gets the best care without draining your savings or going into excessive debt.
Know Your Child's Coverage and Supplement Where Needed
Health insurance helps provide your child with comprehensive coverage, enabling you take them in for routine care, while paying for treatment costs if they become sick or injured.
However, health insurance doesn't always cover the full costs and can exclude many additional costs involved in care. Supplemental insurance policies for children, like accident, dental, vision, and critical illness insurance, can provide coverage for situations where health insurance won't.
Compare your current health coverage against your lifestyle and your child's daily activities to see where gaps may exist. This will help you identify the right supplemental insurance policies to cover your child.
Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.
Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
Accident, A36000 series: In Delaware, Policies A36100DE-A36400DE, & A363OFDE. In Idaho, Policies A36100ID-A36400ID, & A363OFID. In Oklahoma, Policies A36100OK- A36400OK, & A363OFOK. In Virginia, Policies A36100VA - A36400VA, & A363OFVA.
Dental, A81000 & A82000 series: In Delaware, Policies A81100-A81400. Policies A82100R-A82400R. In Idaho, Policies A81100ID-A81400ID. Policies A82100RID-A82400RID. In Oklahoma, Policies A81100OK-A81400OK. Policies A82100ROK-A82400ROK. In Virginia, Policies A81100VA-A81200VA. Policies A82100RVA-A82400RVA.
Vision, VSN100 series: In Delaware, Policy VSN100. In Idaho, Policy VSN100ID. In New York, Policy NYVSN100. In Oklahoma, Policy VSN100OKR. In Oregon, Policy VSN100OR. In Pennsylvania, Policy VSN100PA. In Texas, Policy VSN100TX. In Virginia, Policy VSN100VA.
Critical Illness, A74000 & B71000 series: In Delaware, Policies A74100DE, A74200DE, A74300DE. Policies B71100, B71200, B7130H & B7140H. Policies A71100DE & A71200DE. In Idaho, Policies A74100ID, A74200ID, A74300ID. In Oklahoma, Policies A74100OK, A74200OK, A74300OK. Policies A73100OK & A7310HOK. Policies B71100OK & B7110HOK. Policies A71100OK & A71200OK. In Virginia, Policies A74100VA, A74200VA, A74300VA. Policy A73100VA. Policies A71100VA & A71200VA.
Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to DE, ID, NJ, NM, NY or VA. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations, and exclusions.
Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999
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CONTACT:
Senior PR & Corporate Communications
Contact: Angie Blackmar, 706-392-2097 or ABlackmar2@aflac.com
SOURCE: Aflac
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