Back-to-school with affordable health care

By Marshall Loeb, MarketWatch



NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - "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.