Back-to-School
with Affordable Health Care
by Marhsall
Loeb, CBS Marketwatch
August 30,
2005
"Health insurance is just like
car insurance. You want to get both before you wreck." So says Robert S.
Hurley, Vice President of Customer Care at eHealthInsurance.com, a company
that compares health insurance policies.
Alarmingly,
recent studies show that more than one in ten school-aged kids do not have
health insurance. And in some states, as many as one in five kids are uninsured.
"Many parents don't know where to go to get health insurance and they don't
know that it can be affordable," says Hurley.
One contributing factor to
the huge numbers of children who go uninsured is the high number of small
businesses. There are roughly 12 million across the nation and only about
half offer coverage to their employees. Fewer than that offer to cover
dependants, and when they do, they usually pass the entire cost to the
family. Many families can't afford this daunting payment every month, and
feel forced to leave their children uninsured.
"Families don't know that they
can get coverage on their own that is more affordable than what small businesses
offer," Hurley says. "Most children aged 5 to 18 can get an individual
policy from $35 to $90 a month." Keep these tips in mind, says Hurley,
when getting health insurance for your kids:
Compare two to three health
insurance companies because each is different. Usually a company shows
you only one plan, so use the Internet and specifically look up as many
as possible. On eHealthInsurance.com,
you can compare policies in your area, side by side, freely and anonymously.
Visit the site.
Buy only what you need. If you
have children who are typically very healthy, don't buy a plan that offers
a ten dollar co-payment to visit the doctor. Buy a plan that has a deductible
involved so that you save on monthly premium.
Don't
be afraid of the higher deductible plans. The deductible goes up so that
you can save on your monthly premium. Learn more about Health Savings Accounts.
This could be a great way to set your kids up for life. You can get lower
cost health insurance plans and set up a family savings account that can
be available for their needs. The U.S. Treasury has an extensive Web site
on health savings accounts. Visit the
site.