You've signed up to play soccer, and you're really psyched. First, though, you need to go to the doctor and have a physical. No problem- your mom calls the office, sets up an appointment, and you go. When you check in at the desk, your mom pulls out a plastic card and shows it to the receptionist. She also writes a check.
So, just what is that plastic card? It's proof that your family has health coverage. It's an important way that families cover the costs of health care. Here's how health coverage works: The company your parents work for probably has a health plan for its workers. Your mom or dad may pay at least a part of the cost, called a premium, or the company may pay for it. The health insurance plan pays for part of the cost of things like doctor's visits, hospital care, and medicines. Usually the worker (your mom or dad) must pay part of the cost, too. That's called a co-pay (remember the check your mom wrote?). If the company your mom or dad works for does not provide health coverage to its workers, a family may choose to buy private insurance, but that's very expensive. Some families who can't get health coverage through a parent's job are covered by health coverage the government provides.
But what if your mom doesn't have that plastic card? What if your parents can't afford to pay for the doctor's visit? Visiting the doctor can cost a lost of money. If your family doesn't have health coverage and can't afford to pay for a visit to the doctor, you may just not be able to play soccer at all. That's really too bad, but many kids without coverage have far worse things happen to them. If they have a cold and can't go to the doctor, they may get much sicker. If a kid needs glasses, he may not be able to get them. If a kid needs expensive medicine, she might get sick or even die because her parents can't afford it. It's not fair, and it's certainly not right!
Take this quiz to see how much you know about health coverage:
Back to kids 4 being healthy