Health insurance for children is essential to the health of the nation. The CHIP program helps provide insurance coverage to U.S. children less than nineteen years old based on qualifying circumstances. Health insurance for children is mandatory as per the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Low cost health insurance for children is crucial to families in certain income brackets. CHIP health insurance is designed to help families keep their children healthy and medically safe. Learn how to apply for CHIP by reading important information ahead including what CHIP covers, eligibility requirements and more.
What is CHIP? The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federal health insurance program for children created in 1997 during the Clinton administration. Health insurance for children is mandatory as per the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). Low cost health insurance for children is crucial to families in certain income brackets.
If health insurance for kids is mandatory, why do low cost programs such as CHIP exist instead of plans simply being free?
The U.S. healthcare and health insurance systems are still based on qualifying individual and household income levels. Health insurance is required to be paid for when it is affordable for an individual or person to do so.
The amount charged to a government-supplemented insurance policy holder is dependent on how far above or below the federal poverty level (FPL) his or her income level falls. CHIP provides affordable health insurance for children who are less than 19 years old when their parents are not eligible for Medicaid, but also cannot afford the costs of private health insurance.
CHIP insurance is available in every U.S. state. Each state children’s health insurance program is named something different, even if CHIP remains as part of the program name.
Medicaid for children works in similar ways throughout the states. Many medical services are free of charge in both programs although some require copays and other out-of-pocket expenses.
The amount of out-of-pocket expenses and types of benefits provided in CHIP and Medicaid programs also vary with each state’s program. While there are similarities, CHIP and Medicaid are not the same, however.
Sometimes, households qualified for CHIP Medicaid might not approve. CHIP is also solely focused on American children, while qualified Medicaid recipients are most commonly sixty-four years of age and younger.
Next, learn what health insurance coverage you can receive for your children through CHIP.
