Dental care is vital for everyone, but it is especially so for children. That’s because their mouths are still developing, and if problems aren’t caught early on, kids can face such issues as crooked teeth and a lifetime of poor oral health. Unfortunately, many families struggle to afford to pay for dental care for their children. CHIP is a government program that makes dental care accessible to more households across the United States. Your family dentist in West Mobile takes a moment to talk about this provision and what it might mean for your family.
CHIP Bridges a Gap
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is designed to help families who do not qualify for Medicaid but who lack the monetary resources to comfortably afford other health coverage. It provides dental insurance for both children and pregnant women.
The program works by providing matching federal funding to states for children’s health and dental insurance. Therefore, each state can decide on its own regulations for which families qualify for coverage through chip. In all states, however, the CHIP initiative has helped extend coverage to children who live in households that make at least up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
CHIP in and out of Danger
CHIP began in 1997, and funding for it has grown in the decades since it was instituted. However, it was recently on the verge of running out of federal funding. In an effort to save CHIP, a group of grassroots members of the American Dental Association (ADA) banded together in a campaign.
They achieved their goal. On January 22, 2018, President Trump signed a bill into law that included CHIP funding for another six years. In 2018, the program is allotted $21.5 billion, a number that will increase to $25.9 billion by 2023. The provision for CHIP was part of a bill that included other funding measures to keep the government running until early February.
What It Means for You
In Alabama, the CHIP provision is also known as ALL Kids. It helps provide health and dental coverage for children up to age 19 whose families make up to 312 percent of the federal poverty level. Therefore, if you’re worried about affording oral healthcare for your little one, it’s a good idea to look into the ALL Kids program. You can find detailed qualification guidelines, information on coverage, and application forms on Alabama’s Public Health website.
If you live in Mississippi, you still may be able to take advantage of CHIP. You can find more information about that state’s guidelines here.
Children’s dentistry in West Mobile is important! Whether you use regular insurance, Medicaid, or CHIP, the team at Parker Dental and Orthodontics urges you to make sure that your little one gets the oral healthcare they need.
About Us
Dr. Hube Parker and the rest of the folks at Parker Dental and Orthodontics love to care for children’s smiles in West Mobile and our other locations. To learn more about the forms of insurance we accept, or to ask questions about your child’s oral health, please contact us.