All you Need to Know About Medicaid and CHIP Health Coverage

Today, most of the people might not be aware of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Well, this is a medical care service for the children whose families cannot afford health insurance costs due to their low income. CHIP service is offered by every state, but the rules and regulations are different for different states. Many people are facing financial hardships which is why they find it hard to buy a private health insurance plan. In the situation of low financial strength, people don't get crucial medical attention when they face health crisis.

In healthcare, one of the major areas of concern is Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid is also an assistance program for the families with considerably low income. Medicaid was first set up in 1965 to provide healthcare coverage to low-income families which has some eligibility criteria sets within each state. CHIP coverage mainly depends upon the eligibility of Medicaid.

Who can Avail the Benefits of Medicaid and CHIP?

The families who have passed the Medicaid eligibility, their children can avail the benefits of Children's Health Insurance Program. Families as residents of one state who are availing the benefits of Medicaid and CHIP cannot avail the benefits of same coverage in another state as these programs have different rule and regulations in different states.

Is this Rule Applied for Physically Disabled?

Medicaid can also be benefited by the people who have physical disabilities such as blindness, deafness and mobility impairment. People have low income and suffering from mental disabilities or even some serious medical conditions are also eligible for Medicaid health coverage.

How Pregnant Women can be Benefited from CHIP?

CHIP also provides a different program “CHIP perinatal coverage” to pregnant women. The basic CHIP provides coverage to children from their birth to the age of 18, while CHIP perinatal coverage provides health care to unborn children and the pregnant mother for 12 months.

What is Covered in CHIP Perinatal?

This program covers several pregnancy visits including one visit every four weeks in first 28 weeks of pregnancy and after that one visit per week in 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. Some laboratory testing, education and pregnancy counseling services are also included in CHIP perinatal.

To avail the service of Medicaid and CHIP health coverage, you have to fill out an application via healthcare government website. If you or any of your family member is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, then this information will be sent to the state agency. After that, they will directly contact you for the enrollment. Also, you can directly contact to state Medicaid agency to avail this service.

Four Basic Type of Health Insurance - Flexible And Affordable Coverage

Many people might not be aware of diverse benefits of insuring their health. It is always said that health is wealth and is one's most prized possession, but when it comes to health most of the people are not conscious for it. Due to the busy and fast-paced lifestyle, most of us don't have much time to think about the health. Things are very unpredictable as an apparently healthy person today might need some medical emergency tomorrow.

Health insurance is quite imperative these days as it helps an individual in financial breakdown caused by medical treatment costs. There are several benefits of having an affordable health insurance plan which varies from state to state, but the major benefits include boarding expenses, hospital room rent, nursing expenses, specialist fees, doctor's fees, surgeon's fees, diagnostic services, dental services, pregnancy related services, anesthetists fees, etc. Some health insurance plan also cover the cost of medicines and drugs, cost of blood and surgical appliances.

There are various companies which provide several types of affordable health insurance plans, but choosing the right one is quite essential. You should always choose the plan which suits best to your preferences, resources and needs. Before going with a plan, it is important to be familiar with every type of health insurance plan so that you can decide your needs and budget accordingly. Here is a brief introduction of four basic type of health insurance plans.

Individual or Family Health Insurance

One of the most common types of health insurance is individual or family health insurance. It is designed to cover you and your family against illness or injury. This is the best option to make life easier of complete family. As more than one person is covered in family health insurance so the cost will be definitely high than the individual plan. This plan is further categorized in different family health insurance plans so it is advisable to choose the one which suits best to your requirements.

Group Health Insurance

This type of health insurance is quite similar to the above, but the only difference is that group health insurance is often purchased by a company or an organization for their workers. This type of health insurance can be purchased at a greatly reduced cost compared to others.

Short Term

As the name suggests short term health insurance plan provides inexpensive and flexible coverage against all injuries and illnesses for short duration of time. This plan is generally applicable for 2 to 3 months. This plan is generally purchased by students who have freshly graduated or the employees who are waiting for their next job.

Student Health Insurance

This type of health insurance is also self explanatory. It is mainly for the students who need their own protection and living outside from their house for study or job purpose.  

These plans are not for everyone in every situation as there are of course other health insurance plans than what are listed here, but the above are some common types that you should get familiar with.

Buying a Health Insurance Plan – Tips for Choosing the Right One

You may get several affordable health insurance plans which can be different in size and structure, but choosing the right health insurance cover is an important decision. Before buying any health insurance, it is good to know the quality of services, cost, type of coverage and benefits included within the plan you are choosing. If you are not clear about the insurance benefits and new to all these things, take the help of a professional insurance advisor who can help clear many of question regarding your health insurance. Here are some tips to keep in mind while choosing a health insurance plan.

• Whether your company provides a health cover or not, it is always a best practice to purchase a health insurance plan. There may be some cases when you leave the company and your company withdraw all the health covers, in such situations your personal health cover may assist you. It can help you when some of your loved one is suffering from a chronic disease. 
• It is always wise to choose the right amount in your insurance plan. Your health cover may vary from city to city. If the population of the city is not that much high and the city is small in which you are living, it is preferable to have health coverage of 3-4 lac. On the other hand, if you live in a metropolitan city, the amount of your health insurance can exceed to a small extent.
• If you already have a health insurance plan and you are not happy with it, don’t think to purchase a new plan instead port it to the new one to get the maximum benefit. The advantage of port a plan is that the benefits of your old plan get transferred to the new policy and you keep upgrading new health plans with time. 
• It is always advisable to buy a health cover as early as possible in your life stages. When you reach in your 40’s, you are less liable to make claims so you cannot reap all the benefits of your plan. 
• Make sure that the plan you purchase should be renewable lifetime so that you can enjoy the benefits at your older stages when you have major health problems. 
• One of the most important things when buying a health insurance plan is choosing a reputed agent or health insurance company. Always take the help of your neighborhood, relatives or an online website to select the most suitable plan that fits best within your requirements. 

Hence, before buying a health insurance plan from a company, make sure that the company is registered, trustworthy and reliable. Read all the plans and services carefully that are covered in the insurance plan you are buying.