Health Insurance Articles

Three Items Not Covered For Children Under Typical Health Coverage

2010-06-06

Children are adventurous. Fortunately, children also tend to heal quickly, and most bumps and bruises received as a result of their adventures are minor and easily treated. Excellent child healthcare, however, is still essential for those times when illness strikes or a combination of circumstances results in an injury far greater than parent or child was expecting. Having the right health insurance coverage for your children is important, as is knowing exactly what is covered and under what circumstances. Many parents and caregivers receive a rude awakening when items they assumed were covered by healthcare premiums are in fact listed as out of pocket expenses. Here are three of the most common.

The first common expense not covered by child healthcare programs is counseling for behavioral disorders. Even those which are well-recognized and categorized, such as ADD or ADHD, or those less well-known but still dangerous like borderline personality disorder may not have treatment options which are covered by insurance. Though these disorders come with a diagnosis and course of treatment, many health insurance policies do not cover behavioral modification treatments or visits to a counselor or therapist. These can be substantial expense that caregivers need to be aware of before using them on a regular basis.

Second, many drugs to treat these disorders or other children's issues such as depression, are not covered by standard plans. In large part, anything which is not a physical ailment is left out of standard care, as it is both expensive to treat and has a smaller chance of a successful outcome. Regimens of drug treatments can cost thousands of dollars, and may require an upgrade to a higher level of health insurance coverage or may simply have to be paid out of pocket.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, many plans will not cover some or all of the costs associated with pregnancy. This is especially true in group health plans, where only the employee and their immediate family members are covered, and a child which has not yet been born is often not added to that list. While general health benefits will be supplied to the pregnant spouse, any medical complications arising from the pregnancy or treatments which the child needs while still in the womb are often not covered by standard or group insurance.

In order to ensure that both young and unborn children are protected, many parents choose to find a child-specific health care plan that addresses the needs of the young. Many providers now offer child-friendly options which allow for a broader range of coverage, but it is essential for parents to make sure that they know what is covered and what they are responsible to pay for.