Your child needs health insurance because preventative care is very important to his or her future well-being.  When they are young, your kids will receive immunizations and get treated when they are ill before succumbing to a worse prognosis.

 When your child is well, they won’t miss school, and their education will continue to flourish, making them productive citizens.  Many schools require doctor’s clearance for certain athletic clubs, and all require shot records for enrollment.

 Parents aren’t the only ones who can apply for coverage for their children.  Legal guardians and grandparents can also contact their state program to find out about eligibility.  If your child is already on, or is eligible for Medicaid, then he or she will not qualify for the state-run Insure Kids Now program. 

 How do these plans work?  They vary from state to state.  Texas’s program is called CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) and charges an annual fee of $15 to cover all eligible children in the family.