Why Kids Need Health Insurance

Children are known for their small voices, cute faces, and their attraction to dirt and germs. Being a trendy pre-teen or adventurous kindergartener comes with its share of coughs, colds, bruises and rashes. You may not be able to protect your little ones from each little germ, but you can have peace of mind by having a health plan for your child.

Getting a health plan for your child is one of the most immediate things you can do to support your child’s health and wellness. Health plans are available to purchase during open enrollment. Many health plans include essential health benefits. Essential health benefits are a set of health care service categories that must be covered by certain plans.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) Individual and Family health plans have important services for your kids like pediatric services, preventive care and vaccination coverage. These services are important for keeping your kids healthy. Regular visits to the doctor can also track your child’s growth development. A health plan for your child will even cover their seasonal flu shot and their shots for school.

Essential Health Benefits

• Lab services
• Preventive and wellness services
• Chronic disease management
• Pediatric services
• Ambulatory patient services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Maternity and newborn care
• Mental health disorder services
• Substance use disorder services
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative services and devices

Help Paying for Health Insurance

Two areas to pay attention to when shopping for a health plan are cost and doctors. You can see what plans fit your budget and your child’s needs by entering basic information on our website.

Providing information like family size, zip code and income will help find out if you qualify for a subsidy. Last year many people learned they qualified for a premium tax credit or cost sharing assistance.

• Cost Sharing assistance – A discount that lowers the amount you pay for your deductible, coinsurance and copayments.
• Premium tax credit – A credit through the marketplace  based on your income that lowers your monthly premium.

Why Your Child Needs a Health Plan

Health plans come in handy in all types of situations. A nasty fall during gymnastics or an unexpected ringworm outbreak at daycare – can all be treated by visiting your health plan’s network of doctors and hospitals.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield members, Amy and Justin Wallace recall how they felt after their son’s lung collapsed. “It was very stressful from a mother's standpoint,” Amy said. “And the last thing that we wanted to have to worry about was the financial end of that. And having Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance, we knew that we didn't have to worry about that.”

Having a health plan is a pretty big deal when it comes to raising your kids. So, unless you plan on putting your kids in a bionic bubble – having a health plan is the next best thing.

Originally published November 24, 2015; Revised 2018, 2020, 2021