The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautioned parents that inexpensive health plans offered by the new health insurance marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act won’t provide appropriate coverage for children, according to a new advisory published in the journal Pediatrics and reported by NBC News.
The AAP is also now pushing states to consider new legislation that restricts low-tier or “catastrophic” plans only to adults.
This is because although most cheap plans have smaller premiums (or up-front costs), they are often paired with high deductibles. That means parents will still have to cough up a lot of cash if they end up taking their kids to a doctor or hospital.
For people who rarely need medical care, cheaper, low-tier plans can be an attractive, more cost-effective option in the short run.
But, warns the AAP: “Families with small children tend to be high users of primary care services.” Because low-tier plans result in hefty out-of-pocket deductibles for these services, parents might hesitate before taking their kids to the doctor.
For more information about navigating health insurance under the ACA, click here.
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