Access to health insurance is essential for young children, since frequent visits to the doctor are common for infants and toddlers. While a biological child might have no difficulty obtaining coverage through your health insurance company, adding an adopted child to your policy can sometimes be tricky.
Here are three key pieces of information to keep in mind to ensure your child will have health insurance coverage if you plan to adopt in the near future.
1. The adoption doesn't have to be complete to qualify for coverage.
It's important to recognize that your adopted child qualifies for coverage as soon as he or she is placed in your home. This means that you do not have to wait for the adoption to be finalized before providing health care benefits for your new child.
The finalization of an adoption typically doesn't take place until anywhere from three months to a year after a child has been placed. Health insurance companies allow coverage to start on the day the child is placed in your home to prevent a lapse in coverage during the finalization period.
2. The enrollment period is limited.
Although your adopted child qualifies for coverage as soon as he or she is legally placed in your home, you must formally enroll the child in order for him or her to enjoy medical benefits. For most insurance companies, this enrollment must take place no more than 30 days after the child is placed.
To ensure that your adopted child will not be at risk of losing out on medical coverage, talk to your insurance company well in advance of your placement date to find out which forms are needed to complete the enrollment process. Being proactive will ensure that you are prepared to offer your adopted child access to immediate health insurance coverage.
3. You will need to provide documentation.
In order to prove that your adoption is legal, your health insurance company may ask you to provide documentation. To expedite the enrollment process, you should be prepared to provide any legal pleadings, birth certificates, or other documents required by your insurance company to qualify your adopted child for coverage.
Schedule a meeting with your company's human resources representative as well as with a representative from an insurance company like Quesenberry Agency For Blue Cross-Blue Shield in advance of your child's placement date to discover exactly which forms of documentation are required.
Providing your adopted child with health insurance is important. Make sure your child is covered by recognizing eligibility starts from the day your child is placed in your home, enrolling your child within the limited time frame, and being prepared to provide any required documentation in a timely manner.
