Health Insurance for Babies -- eHealthInsurance Describes Coverage Options for New Parents

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire -03/15/12)- Today eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: EHTH - News), the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses, described different health insurance options that new or expecting parents should consider for coverage of newborns.

Many new and expecting parents today express uncertainty or confusion about the health insurance options available for their new babies. This is especially true of the large number of new parents without employer-sponsored health insurance.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows adult children to stay on a parent's health insurance policy until age 26 but grandchildren are not eligible for coverage under the same policy. The ACA also prevents insurers from declining coverage for children under age 19 based solely on the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only individual health insurance policies are not readily available in many states.

The coverage scenarios and tips described below are provided to help consumers better understand coverage options for newborns. eHealthInsurance recommends that consumers contact their employers or work with a licensed health insurance agent like eHealthInsurance to better understand their personal choices.

Health Insurance Options for Newborn Children

Enrolling a newborn under a parent's employer-sponsored plan. If you or your child's other parent are currently covered under an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, this is often your baby's best coverage option. Employer-based plans tend to provide robust benefits that may include preventive checkups, well-baby visits and immunizations -- often at no or little out-of-pocket cost. A few considerations:

The child may be covered under either parent's employer plan (or both), even if the parents aren't married Adding a dependent may substantially increase the amount the employee is required to contribute from his or her paycheck towards the monthly premium You don't need to wait for the employer's open enrollment period to add a newborn to your plan but must typically enroll the baby within a specific time-frame, typically thirty days after birth If you miss the enrollment window, you may want to consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care or regular checkups Contact your Human Resources department or benefits administrator before your child is born to make sure that you understand how the enrollment process works and how much additional money will be withheld from your paycheck for dependent coverage

Enrolling a newborn under a parent's individually-purchased plan. Individually-purchased health insurance plans may provide coverage for individuals or for families. The 2010 Affordable Care Act strengthened these plans by doing away with lifetime coverage limits for basic covered services and making certain preventive care services available at no out-of-pocket cost. According to eHealth, Inc's 2011 Cost and Benefits Report, the average monthly premium paid for a family of two or more in 2011 was $414 per month* Nearly nine in ten (88.8%) of the plans surveyed in the report included well-baby coverage.

If you already have an individually-purchased policy, contact your licensed agent or insurer to learn how to add a dependent and how much your monthly premiums may increase as a result Be sure to add your newborn as a dependent within the "qualifying event" period, typically thirty days following birth When applying or re-applying for individual or family coverage it is possible for adults age 19 and over to be declined coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions; such a decline may result in the decline of the application as a whole, including for the coverage of dependents

Enrolling a newborn in a child-only individual plan. "Child-only" plans are individual health insurance policies made available to children age 18 and under with no parent or guardian listed on the same policy. The 2010 health reform law prevents insurers from declining applications for children based solely on pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only policies are not available in many states, and states where child-only policies are available may limit enrollment to designated open enrollment periods or only with the occurrence of a "qualifying event."

Find out if child-only plans are available in your state by contacting your state department of insurance or a licensed agent Review eHealthInsurance's recently published chart describing the availability of child-only plans across the country Birth may be considered a qualifying event and enrollment may be allowed within a specific period of time after birth in states where child-only health insurance plans are available In states where child-only plans are not available you may still be able to apply for an individually-purchased family plan with yourself as the policyholder and your child as a dependent, but remember that the application may be declined due to your own pre-existing medical conditions

Enrolling a newborn in a state-sponsored health insurance program. If no other options are open to you and you can't afford coverage on your own, you may qualify for government assistance. Depending on your income, you and/or the baby may qualify for Medicaid. In some states there may be other programs available specifically for uninsured infants and children.

Contact your state department of insurance or the non-profit Foundation for Health Coverage Education (coverageforall.org) to learn more If you face an enrollment delay with a government program, consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care and regular checkups

NOTES:

*Based on a survey of over 100,000 family plans purchased through eHealthInsurance.com and with coverage in effect as of February 2011. Read the 2011 Cost and Benefits Report.

Additional Consumer Resources:

About eHealth

eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH - News) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation's leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses. Through the company's website, www.eHealthInsurance.com, consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making it the ideal model of a successful, high-functioning health insurance exchange. Through the company's eHealthTechnology solution (www.eHealthTechnology.com), eHealth is also a leading provider of health insurance exchange technology. eHealthTechnology's exchange platform provides a suite of hosted e-commerce solutions that enable health plan providers, resellers and government entities to market and distribute products online. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help seniors navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through its wholly-owned subsidiary, PlanPrescriber.com (www.planprescriber.com) and through its Medicare website www.eHealthMedicare.com.

For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealthInsurance consumer blog: Get Smart - Get Covered.

View the original article here

Health Insurance for Babies -- eHealthInsurance Describes Coverage Options for New Parents

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire -03/15/12)- Today eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: EHTH - News), the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses, described different health insurance options that new or expecting parents should consider for coverage of newborns.

Many new and expecting parents today express uncertainty or confusion about the health insurance options available for their new babies. This is especially true of the large number of new parents without employer-sponsored health insurance.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows adult children to stay on a parent's health insurance policy until age 26 but grandchildren are not eligible for coverage under the same policy. The ACA also prevents insurers from declining coverage for children under age 19 based solely on the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only individual health insurance policies are not readily available in many states.

The coverage scenarios and tips described below are provided to help consumers better understand coverage options for newborns. eHealthInsurance recommends that consumers contact their employers or work with a licensed health insurance agent like eHealthInsurance to better understand their personal choices.

Health Insurance Options for Newborn Children

Enrolling a newborn under a parent's employer-sponsored plan. If you or your child's other parent are currently covered under an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, this is often your baby's best coverage option. Employer-based plans tend to provide robust benefits that may include preventive checkups, well-baby visits and immunizations -- often at no or little out-of-pocket cost. A few considerations:

The child may be covered under either parent's employer plan (or both), even if the parents aren't married Adding a dependent may substantially increase the amount the employee is required to contribute from his or her paycheck towards the monthly premium You don't need to wait for the employer's open enrollment period to add a newborn to your plan but must typically enroll the baby within a specific time-frame, typically thirty days after birth If you miss the enrollment window, you may want to consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care or regular checkups Contact your Human Resources department or benefits administrator before your child is born to make sure that you understand how the enrollment process works and how much additional money will be withheld from your paycheck for dependent coverage

Enrolling a newborn under a parent's individually-purchased plan. Individually-purchased health insurance plans may provide coverage for individuals or for families. The 2010 Affordable Care Act strengthened these plans by doing away with lifetime coverage limits for basic covered services and making certain preventive care services available at no out-of-pocket cost. According to eHealth, Inc's 2011 Cost and Benefits Report, the average monthly premium paid for a family of two or more in 2011 was $414 per month* Nearly nine in ten (88.8%) of the plans surveyed in the report included well-baby coverage.

If you already have an individually-purchased policy, contact your licensed agent or insurer to learn how to add a dependent and how much your monthly premiums may increase as a result Be sure to add your newborn as a dependent within the "qualifying event" period, typically thirty days following birth When applying or re-applying for individual or family coverage it is possible for adults age 19 and over to be declined coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions; such a decline may result in the decline of the application as a whole, including for the coverage of dependents

Enrolling a newborn in a child-only individual plan. "Child-only" plans are individual health insurance policies made available to children age 18 and under with no parent or guardian listed on the same policy. The 2010 health reform law prevents insurers from declining applications for children based solely on pre-existing medical conditions. However, child-only policies are not available in many states, and states where child-only policies are available may limit enrollment to designated open enrollment periods or only with the occurrence of a "qualifying event."

Find out if child-only plans are available in your state by contacting your state department of insurance or a licensed agent Review eHealthInsurance's recently published chart describing the availability of child-only plans across the country Birth may be considered a qualifying event and enrollment may be allowed within a specific period of time after birth in states where child-only health insurance plans are available In states where child-only plans are not available you may still be able to apply for an individually-purchased family plan with yourself as the policyholder and your child as a dependent, but remember that the application may be declined due to your own pre-existing medical conditions

Enrolling a newborn in a state-sponsored health insurance program. If no other options are open to you and you can't afford coverage on your own, you may qualify for government assistance. Depending on your income, you and/or the baby may qualify for Medicaid. In some states there may be other programs available specifically for uninsured infants and children.

Contact your state department of insurance or the non-profit Foundation for Health Coverage Education (coverageforall.org) to learn more If you face an enrollment delay with a government program, consider a short-term plan to temporarily cover the baby; keep in mind, however, that while short-term plans can provide protection in case of serious illness or injury, they often don't cover preventive care and regular checkups

NOTES:

*Based on a survey of over 100,000 family plans purchased through eHealthInsurance.com and with coverage in effect as of February 2011. Read the 2011 Cost and Benefits Report.

Additional Consumer Resources:

About eHealth

eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH - News) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation's leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses. Through the company's website, www.eHealthInsurance.com, consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making it the ideal model of a successful, high-functioning health insurance exchange. Through the company's eHealthTechnology solution (www.eHealthTechnology.com), eHealth is also a leading provider of health insurance exchange technology. eHealthTechnology's exchange platform provides a suite of hosted e-commerce solutions that enable health plan providers, resellers and government entities to market and distribute products online. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help seniors navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through its wholly-owned subsidiary, PlanPrescriber.com (www.planprescriber.com) and through its Medicare website www.eHealthMedicare.com.

For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealthInsurance consumer blog: Get Smart - Get Covered.

View the original article here

Kids' health predicts parents' future heart disease: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When children have high cholesterol or blood pressure, their parents may have increased risks of diabetes and heart disease down the road, a new study finds.

The study, of 519 Ohio families, found that a 12-year-old's weight, cholesterol and blood pressure helped predict the odds of a parent developing heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes over the next three decades.

Researchers say the findings suggest that screening kids could have the "bonus" of spotting at-risk parents.

"Pediatric risk factors -- cholesterol, triglycerides, high blood pressure -- identified families where parents were at increased risk," said Dr. Charles J. Glueck of Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, one of the researchers on the study.

One reason that's important, he told Reuters Health, is that many parents may not get check-ups themselves, but will regularly take their kids to the doctor.

However, not everyone agrees that children should have numerous screening tests.

It's standard for children to have their weight and blood pressure measured at "well-child" visits to the pediatrician. But only recently did experts start recommending cholesterol checks.

In November, the U.S. National Institutes of Health issued new guidelines saying children should have their cholesterol measured between the ages of 9 and 11, and again between the ages of 17 and 21. The American Academy of Pediatrics also endorsed the recommendation.

That was a shift from what experts had traditionally recommended -- namely, screening cholesterol only in certain at-risk kids, like those with diabetes or a family history of early heart disease.

And some critics questioned the new guidelines, pointing out that there's no hard data showing that screening kids' cholesterol helps their heart health in the long run.

In 2007, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -- an expert panel with federal support -- said there was "insufficient" evidence to recommend for or against routine cholesterol tests for children and teenagers.

"There is still a lot of debate going on," Glueck said.

But he thinks the current study, plus another recent analysis of the same group, give some needed information. "Our findings provide some hard data: If you know children's risk factors, what does that tell you? It tells you a lot," Glueck said.

HEART DISEASE, STROKE, DIABETES

The study, reported in the Journal of Pediatrics, included 852 school students who, at an average age of 12, had their cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides and weight measured. They were reassessed 26 years later -- as were their parents, who were 66 years old, on average.

In nearly half of the families -- 47 percent -- a parent had suffered a heart attack, stroke or needed a procedure to clear blocked heart arteries by the end of the study period. In 37 percent, a parent had developed diabetes.

Overall, Glueck's team found, parents were about twice as likely to suffer early heart disease or stroke (age 60 or younger) when their child had had high blood pressure at age 12.

Parents' odds of cardiovascular problems at any age were also higher when their child had had high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol or triglycerides.

And when children were overweight, their parents' odds of developing diabetes or high blood pressure doubled.

In an earlier study, Glueck's team had found that childhood test results also predicted the kids' own risks of developing heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure by their late-30s.

All of that suggests that childhood screenings can help predict future risks -- in kids and parents. But there is no hard evidence that screening children actually cuts their odds of diabetes or cardiovascular disease in the long run.

STUDY UNLIKELY

To pin that down, Glueck noted, researchers would have to follow a large group of screened children for decades into adulthood, and compare them to a group who'd been randomly assigned to forgo screening as kids.

"It's very unlikely a study like that would ever be done," Glueck said.

There's also a question of expense, since the cost of screening all children for high cholesterol adds up, for an uncertain benefit. And if a child were to be put on a cholesterol-lowering statin, no one is sure what the potential side effects of early and long-term use might be.

That's one reason the USPSTF did not come down on the side of universal screening.

According to Glueck, most children with high cholesterol could be treated with a healthier diet. It's estimated that about 15 to 20 children out of every 300 U.S. kids may have high cholesterol that's related to diet and lifestyle.

A smaller proportion -- about one in every 300 to 500 children -- have an inherited form of high cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolemia. That causes high LDL levels starting early in life, and often leads to heart disease by the time a person is in his 40s or 50s.

Those kids may be placed on statins.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/xAS18e Journal of Pediatrics, online January 12, 2012.

View the original article here