| It should almost go without saying that your kids | | | | when your young son breaks his arm or your |
| need health insurance coverage. Children and | | | | teenager wrecks the family car in an accident? |
| teenagers are acclimating their bodies to the | | | | Would you like to be the parent who needs to |
| diseases that they will come across almost every | | | | decide whether they should provide very |
| day for the rest of their lives, and as they go | | | | expensive medical treatment for their child, or to |
| through these things, their bodies create the | | | | just put a bandaid on it and hope that it will heal |
| things that can fight them off in the future. In | | | | itself over time? |
| addition, kids are just naturally prone to having | | | | The biggest problem overall is that most parents |
| more accidents like broken arms and such due to | | | | realize that they need a kids health insurance plan. |
| having a lifestyle that is much more active, as | | | | Kids will be kids, and that includes the occasional |
| they prove to themselves over and over again | | | | broken bones, the occasional prescription |
| that they are not invulnerable. | | | | medications, and the occasional mishap in the |
| But with all that said, it is truly alarming to read | | | | family car. Parents realize this, and if they don't, it |
| recent reports that indicate that more than 3% | | | | does not take long for that realization to set in. |
| of the children and teenagers in the US either do | | | | But the assumption that parents make is that |
| not have kids health insurance or have had their | | | | kids health insurance plans are just too expensive, |
| health insurance lapse for an appreciable period of | | | | and unfortunately, many parents feel that they |
| time over the course of the year. And this fact | | | | need to take the crap shoot approach where |
| remains even after realizing that most of these | | | | they just hope and pray that nothing serious will |
| kids have at least one parent with their own or | | | | happen. |
| employer-provided health insurance. If you care to | | | | Note the keyword used there - assumption. For |
| do the math, that is about three million uninsured | | | | parents who have not done their research, kids |
| kids. | | | | health insurance plans can be obtained for |
| Why do parents allow this to happen? Almost | | | | probably far less than you think it will cost. That |
| certainly it is a financial decision rather than a | | | | does not mean second rate coverage or second |
| conscious one. In these economic times, many | | | | rate doctors, but it does mean that there are |
| people need to cut back somewhere, but they do | | | | plans available out there that can be customized |
| not realize or fully appreciate the catastrophic | | | | to provide the level and amount of coverage you |
| financial burden they would have to bear if | | | | need, combined with where that fits into your |
| something serious were to happen to their kids, | | | | budget. Even a low end plan is better than having |
| where they would utilize the kids health insurance | | | | no kids health insurance coverage at all. |
| coverage. | | | | Take the time to research what is available and |
| To a certain extent, it is a crap shoot. If your | | | | make at least a little bit of room in your budget |
| kids remain safe and do not get sick and do not | | | | to make sure your kids are covered for health |
| sustain the very typical playground injuries, then | | | | insurance. The question is not IF but rather is |
| you could say that paying on a health insurance | | | | WHEN you will be thankful that you did provide |
| plan is money out the window. But what happens | | | | that coverage for your kids. |