March 1, 2013
Open enrollment for individually purchased “child-only” health plans in California runs from January 1, 2011 through March 1, 2011. Federal health reform law expanded access to health insurance for children under the age of 18 with pre-existing medical conditions.
In the state of California, during the open enrollment period, a child can enroll in a private non-group health insurance plan. Children under the age of 18, regardless of their medical history, cannot be denied by the insurance carrier.
After the initial 2011 open enrollment period (January 1 through March 1), a child’s month of birth will determine the annual open enrollment period for the child. In the case that a newborn child is not enrolled in a health insurance plan during the month that they were born, they will have another 63 days to enroll. If the child does not enroll in a health insurance plan during their eligible time period then private health insurance coverage may be denied due to the criteria of the medical insurance carrier.
There are conditions in which children may be enrolled in “child-only” non-group individual health insurance policies outside of the initial enrollment and annual enrollment period. These conditions are as follows:
- The child lost dependent coverage due to termination or change in a parent’s employment status.
- An employer who provided the child’s coverage, either directly or through a parent or guardian, stopped contributing financially toward the cost of the employee or dependent’s health coverage.
- The person through whom the child was covered as a dependent dies.
- The person through whom the child was covered as a dependent goes though a legal separation or divorce.
- The child loses coverage under the Healthy Families Program, the Access for Infants and Mothers Program, or the Medi-Cal program.
- The child is adopted.
- The child becomes a resident of California during a month that was not the child’s birth month.
- The child is mandated to be covered pursuant to a valid state or federal court order.
The annual enrollment period for child-only health insurance policies was established by the state in order to prevent consumers from waiting until a child becomes ill to sign them up for health insurance.
To obtain a child only insurance plan quote visit California Health Plans or call one of our licensed agents at 1-800-585-1776.
