Knowing that your child’s future is secure is one of the top priorities for many parents. Everyone wants their children to reach their highest potential by ensuring that they grow up healthy and strong. By getting health insurance a parent can rest assured that they made the best decision for their child. Unfortunately not every parent has that option as around 8 million kids in the U.S. go without health insurance. If your child is one of them because your employer-paid health insurance doesn’t cover them or you can’t afford a policy than don’t fret. There are plenty of programs that are available to anyone looking to provide medical coverage for their children. Here are some tips to help get you coverage for your kids.

Get Your Children into a Public Program

   There are two programs in every state that work together to provide health insurance for children that are in middle and low income families. These are Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid. Medicaid is controlled by the state but is funded by both the state and federal government. It offers health insurance to those with a limited income. Children’s Health Insurance Program on the other hand is funded solely by the federal government and provides health insurance to kids under the age of 19 who are in working-class families and qualify for coverage based on the income of their parents.  

Visit Your Local Health Center

   Whether you and your child has health insurance coverage or not, you can take your child to a health center for immunizations, check-ups, treatment, prescription drugs, mental health care, and dental care without health insurance when you need it. This is because health centers offer medical care based on a sliding scale of your income. If you are in a dire situation it can even be free.  

Get Your Kids Child-Only Health Insurance

   A “child-only” health insurance plan is a type of policy that is designed specifically for children who are 18 and under, and do not put a guardian or parent under the same policy. Although the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act made this type of policy less available, they can still be purchased during certain enrollment periods. This can be a good option for parents who only want to have insurance for their children. Be aware that not all states offer this type of insurance so make sure to check with your insurance provider to see if they do.  

Take Full Advantage of COBRA

  If you have been laid-off and fear that this will mean your child will no longer be covered, know that it is required by the law that your former place of employment provides health insurance coverage for 18 months after you were laid-off. This can tide your family over until you can find a new job.