Like in other states, the Affordable Care Act gives more control over health insurance to living in Virginia. In this article, we will discuss how it helps in increasing the choice of medical plans, lowering costs of health insurance and providing financial relief for people in Virginia.
Health insurance industry has been abuzz with the talks related to healthcare reforms and how it will impact various States’ functioning and whether it would bring some changes in regional laws. Talking about Virginia,
the interest grows a bit more as Virginians are believed to be quite conscious about healthcare. Moreover, there is a large number of uninsured residents in Virginia—with the help of healthcare reforms, if health insurance is offered to these uninsured Virginians, it would be remarkably brilliant effort.
Health insurance Virginia, like other states, is full of talks about children’s healthcare options and how to extend various plans to uninsured children in Virginia. According to a report, around 0.2 million children in Virginia are uninsured. Though Virginia enjoys lower rate of uninsured residents than the national average, still, it has been a matter of concern in the last few years. Though there are lots of companies in Virginia offering health insurance, including, Aetna, American National, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Assurant, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Celtic, Golden Rule, Great American, Humana One, IAC, Kaiser Permanente, Patriot Health, Solera Dental, and UniCare etc. Still there is much that can be done when it comes to health insurance in Virginia for children.
Talking about impact of healthcare reforms on children’s health insurance in Virginia, we got some points to note:
• The Act prohibits health insurers from excluding coverage of children because of a pre-existing condition. At the same time, it extends federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through September 30, 2015
• The Act increases the health care workforce including pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, specialists in pediatrics, and pediatric oral health professionals. It is clear that children in Virginia will have access to high quality health care.
• The Act also mandates that the current state option to extend Medicaid coverage up to age 26 to foster children who have aged out of the foster care system.
• Childhood obesity is a major cause of concern. The Act provides $25 million in funding for the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project.
• The Act also requires new health insurance plans to cover prevention and wellness benefits and exempts these benefits from deductibles and other copay requirements.
Children were earlier allowed to stay in the family health insurance policy bought by their parents for the age up to 19 years. However, with the implementation of the healthcare reforms, children will be able to avail the option of staying in their family health insurance policy till the age of 26 years. This clearly helps a lot of children in Virginia who are struggling with the health insurance options available to them. Students in Virginia are greatly helped by this new rule.
