If your children need health coverage, they may be eligible for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). If they qualify, you won't need to buy a Marketplace plan to cover them.
CHIP Basics
CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP covers parents and pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program.
What CHIP covers
The benefits covered through CHIP are different in each state, but all states provide comprehensive coverage, including:
- Routine check-ups
- Immunizations
- Doctor visits
- Prescriptions
- Dental and vision care
- Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
- Laboratory and X-ray services
- Emergency services
States may choose to provide additional CHIP benefits. Check with your state for more information about covered services.
What CHIP costs
Routine "well child" doctor and dental visits are provided free of charge. But there may becopayments for certain other services. Some states charge a monthly premium for coverage. The costs you'll have to pay are different in each state, but you can't be asked to pay more than 5% of your family's income for the year.
See if your children qualify for CHIP
Each state program has its own rules about who qualifies for CHIP. There are 2 ways to see if your children qualify:
- Visit www.insurekidsnow.gov, or call 1-877-543-7669.
- Fill out the Marketplace application. When you finish this application, we'll tell you which programs you and your family qualify for. If it looks like anyone is eligible for CHIP, we'll let the CHIP agency know so that your coverage can start right away.
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