Health Insurance for kids?

I have health insurance through my employer, I have a baby due in July and I have looked into adding her as a dependent but it is way to costly. It jumps from 88.00 a month for Keystone Health Plan East to 400 a month if I add her. Can anyone recommend any health insurance companies that will just cover her by herself. Iam not interested in CHIP or Keystone Mercy or any other state facilitaited health insurance. Thanks for the help.

You have at least a couple options. One is to purchase a health insurance plan just for your baby, as you suggested. The other is to find something more affordable that will cover you both. In either case, you鈥檒l want to talk to a licensed agent who can give you personal advice and who knows the options in your area.

I gather that you live in Pennsylvania? It is possible to get a health insurance plan to cover only a child in PA, so that鈥檚 good. I quickly checked some quotes for a 3-month-old baby through my company鈥檚 website, eHealthInsurance.com, and I see that there are quite a few health plans to choose from under $100 a month. Of course, different plans have different levels of coverage, some with higher deductibles and copayments, some with lower. And you鈥檒l want to make sure that a plan for a newborn covers preventive or well-child services. You can take a look at these options for yourself online or talk to one of our licensed agents at 800-977-8860.

Depending on how happy you are with your current health insurance plan and what you鈥檙e willing to pay for your child鈥檚 individual policy, you may also want to consider purchasing a new health insurance plan that covers you both. I ran quotes for a 3-month-old child and a 25-year-old mother and found a lot in PA to choose from under the $150 a month level. Of course, your final monthly premiums (like your child鈥檚) will depend on more than just your age, but also on you health status and where you live. And health insurance companies can and do change their rates sometimes - but these are some ballpark figures for you.

So talk to an agent. Get to know your options. But whatever you do, don鈥檛 cancel any current coverage you have while you鈥檙e pregnant. It can make it harder to get approved for a new plan and that鈥檚 a complication you don鈥檛 need right now.

Best,

Amir M, licensed agent

Almost all insurance companies have child only policies. Call or visit a local agent that works with all the major companies in your area. The agent can find the best policy for your situation and budget. There is no extra charge using an agent. Many companies have a high premium for kids under 2 but there are those that don't and the agent will know which ones are good in your state.