DENVER -- Thousands of Colorado children will soon have fewer options for health insurance. And parents who may not be able to afford it for themselves, but want it for their children won't have that option.
Ironically the change is as a result of the health care reform act.
7NEWS learned several large insurance companies are no longer offering child-only health policies.
Child-only policies are typically obtained by families because sometimes it's cheaper than a family health plan through an employer. But most often parents who cannot afford health insurance for themselves purchase a child-only policy to make sure their kids are insured even if they are not.
According to Dr. Larry Wolk, with Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, child-only policies are for parents who may make too much money for Medicaid, but not enough to afford health insurance.
Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics has three clinics in the metro area -- Thornton, Denver and Aurora.
"We see kids whether they have insurance or not," said Wolk.
On Thursday Brandee Lucero took her 4-month-old daughter, Antoinette Daniels, to Rocky Mountain Youth Clinic in Thornton for her check-up.
"I got blessed," said Lucero. "(Antoinette) is very healthy."
Lucero said she is double blessed because her daughter qualifies for Medicaid.
"It is very relieving knowing she is getting it because I think of people that cannot get on it and they don't have anything," said Lucero.
Luckily, even people without insurance have safety-net clinics and hospitals across the metro area -- Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics is one of them.
But Lucero worries that once she gets a job she may not have health insurance for Antoinette because she may make too much money to qualify for a public program such as Medicaid or CHP Plus and the company she works for may not offer insurance or a plan she can afford.
In the past, families in such predicaments used to be able to purchase child-only policies. However, because of the Affordable Care Act those options are disappearing in Colorado.
The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies which offer child-only policies to take all kids, even those with preexisting conditions.
วันเสาร์ที่ 18 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
Student Insurance a Must-Have for University
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Sept. 17, 2010) - Of all the items students may find helpful in their study careers, a wi-fi enabled laptop must be among the most versatile. Compact and easy to carry, laptops are great multifunctional devices for students on the go. Most universities contain numerous secure wi-fi hotspots that allow students to connect to the Internet. With a laptop, students can access up to the minute research and stay in contact with their friends and family through email, online chat and social networking services.
Staying connected is an important aspect of student life. From standard mobile phones to smartphones and iPods, mobile devices can help students maintain the all important balance between work and play.
Whether a student moves into residential halls or commutes to university every day, a bicycle can be a convenient and more affordable mode of transport. In addition, a bicycle is a green and efficient way to get around, which is an important factor in light of current environmental concerns and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
Laptops, mobile devices and bicycles are but a few of a student's possessions that can be costly to repair or replace, making a student insurance policy essential. A policy of this nature, such as Endsleigh student insurance, will provide cover for these and other possessions in the event of theft or accidental damage.
Staying connected is an important aspect of student life. From standard mobile phones to smartphones and iPods, mobile devices can help students maintain the all important balance between work and play.
Whether a student moves into residential halls or commutes to university every day, a bicycle can be a convenient and more affordable mode of transport. In addition, a bicycle is a green and efficient way to get around, which is an important factor in light of current environmental concerns and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
Laptops, mobile devices and bicycles are but a few of a student's possessions that can be costly to repair or replace, making a student insurance policy essential. A policy of this nature, such as Endsleigh student insurance, will provide cover for these and other possessions in the event of theft or accidental damage.
Choosing Insurance for the College Life (Grades Not Included)
Many risks that college students face — from property and identity theft to liability cases — can be reduced through proper insurance. The problem is that many parents are as uninterested in talking about these things as their college-age children.
Yet the number of insurable risks faced by college students have gone up tremendously in the decades since their parents lugged stereos and crates of vinyl records into dormitory rooms. The reality is the theft of an iPod should be the least of most parents’ worries, because there are far graver risks. And that is why the start of college is a good time to review all the potential liabilities.
“Most parents shy away from talking about these difficult things because they touch on our deepest fears,” said Christie Alderman, vice president at Chubb & Son, an insurance firm in New Jersey. But, she noted, not talking about a risk does not make it go away.
I have written about the physical safety risks faced by children away at college. This week, I want to look at what insurance can do to reduce other types of risks faced by many college students.
PERSONAL PROPERTY When most parents think of insurance, they think of theft and probably figure their homeowner’s policy covers it.
Most homeowner’s policies cover items like computers or other digital devices stolen from dorms. But Robert Courtemanche, chief executive of ACE Private Risk Services, said that the deductible on the policy still applied. “To get around this, parents could schedule items that are easily lost or stolen — such as a laptop — on their valuables policy, which has no deductible,” he said. “Or, they could ask if the college offers access to an insurance program with much lower limits and lower deductibles.”
For wealthy students who may go to college with expensive watches or jewelry, Mr. Laconi said putting those items on a valuable personal property policy was a must. An existing personal property policy may have been written based on the security of the child’s home. That may well change now that the child is living in a dorm.
For children living off campus, taking out a renter’s policy may make sense. These policies have lower premiums and deductibles to cover damage to furniture, appliances or the apartment in general. The insurer USAA said premiums could be as low as $10 a month for $2,500 in coverage, with more comprehensive policies offering $100,000 of coverage for $30 a month.
Renter’s policies have the additional benefit of teaching children about fiscal responsibility. “That first renter’s policy begins to build the child’s financial responsibility and insurance résumé,” said Ken Kilday, wealth manager at USAA.
Of course, the résumé could be tarnished if the child loses everything and files mountains of claims.
LIABILITY The more serious risks are those that can ruin students’ lives — and their parents’ finances — like being sued by a student who drank a beer in the child’s dorm room and then got in a car accident. This is where liability, or umbrella, policies come in. Their coverage starts when the liability on, say, an auto policy is exceeded.
Most affluent parents have these policies, with $1 million to $2 million in extra coverage. But Ms. Alderman said Chubb had written these policies up to $50 million. She said the wealthy had to ask themselves, “Would your job title or role in the community make you an appealing target for a lawsuit?”
Mr. Laconi recalled a claim in which a family was sued because their son was working at a party where another student drank too much, fell down the stairs and died. Because of that state’s laws, the lawyers for the dead student’s parents sued the student with money, even though he had not served the dead student any alcohol.
Yet the number of insurable risks faced by college students have gone up tremendously in the decades since their parents lugged stereos and crates of vinyl records into dormitory rooms. The reality is the theft of an iPod should be the least of most parents’ worries, because there are far graver risks. And that is why the start of college is a good time to review all the potential liabilities.
“Most parents shy away from talking about these difficult things because they touch on our deepest fears,” said Christie Alderman, vice president at Chubb & Son, an insurance firm in New Jersey. But, she noted, not talking about a risk does not make it go away.
I have written about the physical safety risks faced by children away at college. This week, I want to look at what insurance can do to reduce other types of risks faced by many college students.
PERSONAL PROPERTY When most parents think of insurance, they think of theft and probably figure their homeowner’s policy covers it.
Most homeowner’s policies cover items like computers or other digital devices stolen from dorms. But Robert Courtemanche, chief executive of ACE Private Risk Services, said that the deductible on the policy still applied. “To get around this, parents could schedule items that are easily lost or stolen — such as a laptop — on their valuables policy, which has no deductible,” he said. “Or, they could ask if the college offers access to an insurance program with much lower limits and lower deductibles.”
For wealthy students who may go to college with expensive watches or jewelry, Mr. Laconi said putting those items on a valuable personal property policy was a must. An existing personal property policy may have been written based on the security of the child’s home. That may well change now that the child is living in a dorm.
For children living off campus, taking out a renter’s policy may make sense. These policies have lower premiums and deductibles to cover damage to furniture, appliances or the apartment in general. The insurer USAA said premiums could be as low as $10 a month for $2,500 in coverage, with more comprehensive policies offering $100,000 of coverage for $30 a month.
Renter’s policies have the additional benefit of teaching children about fiscal responsibility. “That first renter’s policy begins to build the child’s financial responsibility and insurance résumé,” said Ken Kilday, wealth manager at USAA.
Of course, the résumé could be tarnished if the child loses everything and files mountains of claims.
LIABILITY The more serious risks are those that can ruin students’ lives — and their parents’ finances — like being sued by a student who drank a beer in the child’s dorm room and then got in a car accident. This is where liability, or umbrella, policies come in. Their coverage starts when the liability on, say, an auto policy is exceeded.
Most affluent parents have these policies, with $1 million to $2 million in extra coverage. But Ms. Alderman said Chubb had written these policies up to $50 million. She said the wealthy had to ask themselves, “Would your job title or role in the community make you an appealing target for a lawsuit?”
Mr. Laconi recalled a claim in which a family was sued because their son was working at a party where another student drank too much, fell down the stairs and died. Because of that state’s laws, the lawyers for the dead student’s parents sued the student with money, even though he had not served the dead student any alcohol.
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