Time for a checkup before kids head back to school
2024年7月25日 - 12:22AM
With the beginning of the school year just around the corner, it’s
time for kids to get their annual checkups.
Today, healthinsurance.org explains how parents can make
use of covered benefits for their children’s back-to-school
health needs if they have an Affordable Care Act-compliant health
plan.
“This is a great time of the year for your children to be seen
by their doctor to stay ahead of fall school deadlines for
immunizations and sports physicals,” said Louise Norris, a
health policy analyst for healthinsurance.org. “In many cases,
immunizations and physicals – where you can request clearance for
sports participation – can be done at no cost to you under your
child’s health plan.”
There are around 50 million students enrolled in U.S. public
schools for kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition, there
were more than 3 million students under the age of 24 enrolled in
colleges and universities in 2024. Although many students may
graduate by 24, it’s important to remember a dependent child can
remain covered by their parents’ health insurance until the age of
26 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
In addition to physicals, which may be required for
participation in school-related sports, there are a variety of
other medical expenses ACA-compliant health insurance plans
are required to cover for children and young adults:
Vaccines. Many vaccines are covered at no cost to
the policyholder. This includes vaccines often required to attend
school, including the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis
(DTaP) vaccine, the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the
poliovirus (polio) vaccine, the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, and
the meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine.
Mental health screening. Preventive care coverage
mandated by the ACA includes screening adolescents for depression
and suicide risk, as well as behavioral assessments. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are
approximately 2.7 million children in the U.S. who have depression,
and 5.5 million children with behavior problems.
“You can get this school year off to a good start by planning
ahead and taking care of needed services and screenings before the
end of summer vacation,” Norris said. "You don’t want to miss out
on covered benefits and services that could set your child up for
success this coming school year.”
Vision screenings. Pediatric eye exams, vision
screening, and glasses to correct vision problems are also required
coverage under the ACA for individual and small-group
plans. Vision screenings for children are considered
preventive care, so they are covered at no cost until a child turns
19. However, other vision services may require a co-pay or be
counted toward the plan’s deductible. Coverage varies from one plan
to another, and not all stand-alone vision plans offer the same
level of pediatric coverage as ACA-compliant health plans.
Dental care. The ACA also considers pediatric
dental care an essential health benefit. Coverage may be
available as part of an ACA-compliant individual or small-group
health plan, or under a separate stand-alone dental plan that the
family obtains through the Marketplace in their state.
Marketplace coverage of this benefit varies from one state to
another.
“Any appointments you can squeeze in before the start of the
school year will keep kids from missing class or after-school
activities,” Norris said. “In addition to being more prepared for
their school year, you can avoid racking up tardies and absences by
taking care of appointments before kids are back in school.”
Children covered by Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) also have comprehensive health insurance that
includes coverage of pediatric vision and dental
care.
Healthinsurance.org provides online resources for consumers
about individual and family health insurance. Healthinsurance.org,
owned by HealthInsurance.org, LLC, has been providing consumer
information about health insurance and health reform for over 25
years.
healthinsurance.org
hiomedia@afmcommunications.com