Children are known for their endless curiosity, cute faces and their ability to come home covered in dirt. Being a trendy pre-teen or adventurous kindergartener comes with its share of coughs and colds, bumps and bruises and mystery rashes. You may not be able to protect your kiddos from every little germ, but you can have peace of mind with a health plan for your child.

A health plan is one of the most immediate things you can do to support your child’s health and wellness. You can purchase one during open enrollment. Many health plans offer essential health benefits. They are a set of health care services that must be covered by certain plans.

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

Kid-friendly Health Plans

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) Individual and Family health plans offer important coverage for pediatric services, preventive care and vaccines. They're all important for keeping your kids healthy. Regular visits to the doctor also track your child’s growth and progress. A health plan for your child will even cover their annual flu shot and other shots for school.

Help Paying for Health Insurance

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

Giving 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 is a discount that lowers the amount you pay for your deductible, coinsurance and copayments.
• A Premium tax credit  is a credit offered through the marketplace  based on your income to help lower your monthly premium.

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 are just two of the things that can be treated by a visit to a doctor or care facility in your health plan’s network.

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. 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, 2023