Since the Affordable Care Act, states have made it difficult, sometimes impossible, to get child-only health insurance. If you look on the New York State of Health Marketplace, you will see that there is no option for child-only insurance, only parent and child. But don’t be fooled. New York State allows enrollment in child-only insurance all year around through Child Health Plus.
This option is sometimes the only way people who are retired and receiving Medicare while also raising a kid can get insurance for the child. It also works for freelancers but because of the mandate, it isn’t advertised. But the mandate is not the law–it’s a tax (per the Supreme Court). So you can choose, get insurance or pay the tax penalty. Either option is legal.
Child Health Plus falls under the federal/state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that Hillary was famously proud of. They provide subsidized coverage based on income, but there is no income cap if you pay the full premium price. This is similar to Medicaid, in that lot of doctors will not accept it, but that is a problem with almost all health insurance now. https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/child_health_plus/how_do_i_apply.htm
To apply you need to call one of the insurance companies directly or go through a community based organization that helps people enroll. There are people called navigators who can help. Those organizations are really intended to help those who would qualify for financial help, so consider that if/when you call them.
You may want to say upfront that you will be paying full price for Child Health Plus as there is no cap on income. There is no need to provide financial info if you are paying full price, but they are so used to asking they will probably ask you anyway.
Caveats:
- You will not have insurance for yourself.
- You might want to check with your current pediatrician to see if they take any of the plans.
Oh, here’s another thing everyone should know if you decide to apply for this or for your whole family. If you know for sure you are over income for subsidies on the Exchange (you can use the calculator to test this, but you should apply if you are anywhere near the line), you don’t need to provide all your financial information to apply. Just skip that part and enroll in 5 minutes by choosing not to apply for subsidies.
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Please note that I don’t represent any insurance company, government entity, or any type of authorized party. Think of this only as a jumping off point for your own research–like you spoke to a neighbor or someone at the coffee shop. I can’t provide any specific advice or answer any questions, so good luck
