Posted on Monday, March 7, 2016

How Do I Get Health Insurance for my Child?

One question that I get asked periodically is, “How do I get health insurance for my kids?” This particularly comes up during pregnancy when parents start thinking ahead to the birth of their baby.

Getting health insurance for your kids doesn’t need to be complicated. You will usually go to your own health insurance company and add them to your plan.

If you receive your health insurance through your employer, you can go to your human resources department and add the child to the health plan when the child is born. If you are receiving health insurance from another carrier, you will contact the company directly to add your child to your health plan.

If you don’t have insurance (remember: under current regulations, everyone should) or can’t insure your child on your plan, the next place to look is Medicaid. Medicaid offers a Children’s Health Insurance Program, aptly named CHIP. It offers early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment, just as other health plans do.

There are income restrictions for CHIP, however, so if your income doesn’t qualify you, then you’ll want to go through the health exchange (that is, Obamacare) to get your kids insured.

One standard that Obamacare brought with it, which now applies to most health plans, is that parents can keep their children on their health plan until the age of 26, as long as the child is enrolled in school.

This has made it easier to ensure that children have health insurance.

As you would for your own health plan, shop around to find the best solution for your family. Make sure your children have a health plan that covers their specific needs.

Want to know more about choosing health plans? Get my ebook set Easy Healthcare: Set Two. It included Choosing Your Health Insurance, and Obamacare, as wells as What You Need First. It is available in all major ebook formats. Get it here.

Posted on Monday, February 29, 2016

4 Tips for Moms Caring for Sick Children

Having a sick child at home is no fun, for them or for you. When it happens, try these tips to keep everyone happy and returning to good health.

Keep the drinks coming. I don’t mean adult beverages for you. With most illnesses, drinking liquids is important for hydration and flushing the body, so make sure you continue to have your child drink water, Pedialyte, and no-sugar-added juices. While you’re at it, make sure you stay hydrated, too. Taking care of yourself will help you take better care of your sick child.

Engage in gentle playtime. Though your child may not be up for running around outside, play is a great way to get some light movement and engage the brain. Try puzzles, sculpting in Play-doh, or coloring pictures. Let them put stickers on their pajamas. Pull out that kids’ doctor kit and take turns diagnosing each other. Read stories together. Cuddle under a snuggly blanket while singing along with or reciting lines from their favorite movie.

Let them see nature. Depending on your child’s ailment, a few minutes outside may be beneficial. Have them breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun on their face. If they can’t go outside due to illness or poor weather, situate them so they can see out a window.

Call the pediatrician. If your child has any symptoms you don’t understand or shows unusual behavior, call their doctor. They may be able to give you some tips over the phone or you may need to go in for an office visit for a more thorough exam. Either way, it’s important to notify your pediatrician of any health concerns.

It may not be a fun day, but you’ll both get through it and back to your normal routine soon. What tips do you have for taking care of sick children? Share in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter. I’d love to hear from you.

Be sure to check out my newest offering When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This is a bit different than my other books. When Life Happens is a workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. It just launched this week. You can find it here.

Posted on Monday, February 15, 2016

The Most Important Step in Choosing Assisted Living

Lori-Ann and her father

As many of you know, my proud father and I struggled through the process of making decisions about assisted living options for him. I learned a lot from this experience.

If the time comes that your loved one needs to enter assisted living, there are many considerations to be made. You may be thinking about location, dietary needs, activities, and packing up their house.

Remember, though, to also think about your loved one. The person who is moving into assisted living will probably be dealing with a lot of emotions. They may be worried. They may be grieving the loss of their mobility or their independence. My dad loved his little condo and was heartbroken to know he could not live there by himself any longer.

It’s important to talk to to your loved one throughout the process. You may want to include your siblings in the conversation, but then you need to go talk to you loved one. Let your loved one know what the doctors have recommended. Let him or her know that you need to make a decision.

If possible, bring your loved one with you to the assisted living facilities when you tour them. Let them be involved in deciding which place suits their needs and budget.

This may be a tough transition for them. The more you can involve them in the process, the more in control they might feel. Lastly, always remember, there is no perfect living arrangement as someone ages. Just knowing this will allow you to weigh and balance all the options.

I’d love to hear about your family’s experience with assisted living. Please leave a comment on Facebook or Instagram.

Want to know more about preparing for assisted living? Check out my book Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility.