One Less Thing to Worry About for Mother’s Day

Many families do not know their children may be eligible for free or low cost health care coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, and that it’s not too late to enroll. The article below is part of the Connecting Kids to Coverage Blog Carnival at MomsRising, which is helping spread the word about the value of health insurance and what coverage can mean for children, parents and the whole family.

By Kimberley Chin, The Atlantic Philanthropies

Being a mother changes everything. Before you become a mother, people try to explain what that means – no sleep, no privacy (bathrooms seem to have an open door policy in my house), and your fashion sense goes out the window! The thing is, you can’t really know what it means until you are face to face with this other human being who depends on you for EVERYTHING. Once you get over the mind-numbing fear of all that responsibility, you move on to the practical things that you can do. Car seats – check. Bike helmets – check. A sweater for them whenever you get cold – check. A backpack full of snacks, wipes and allergy medicine at all times – check. We try to do everything we can to keep these little people safe, and that includes making sure that they have health insurance.  

So this Mother’s Day, I want all mothers to ease their anxiety when they see their daughters playing tough defense at mid-field in a soccer game (with much bigger girls), or their middle schooler sons heading out to play a pick-up game of basketball with the high school kids, or all of their children strapping on helmets to go “try out” the neighbor’s skateboard for the first time. You can help lessen your fears by making sure that your children have health coverage. Your heart will still be in your throat when you watch the soccer game, but at least you can better appreciate that amazing goal.  

There are a lot of people out there who want your children to get health insurance. You can sign up any time for Medicaid and CHIP – there is no deadline. It may take a little time to find the right people and fill out the forms, but it is far better than facing an emergency room without health insurance coverage for the third time after your child’s sports game and a possible concussion. Our children are our pride and joy, but they are also our greatest source of anxiety. This is one more way to help keep them safe – along with an extra sweater. Atlantic Philanthropies is committed to the health and well-being of children and has devoted considerable resources to ensuring that children get coverage. I help children get health insurance for a living. I care deeply about keeping all children healthy as a mother of three very active little boys. 

Learn More

To learn more about Medicaid and CHIP and how to enroll, visit your state’s Medicaid agency or HealthCare.gov. Or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).

> Read more from Atlantic grantees at MomsRising’s Connecting Kids to Coverage Blog Carnival

MomsRising is a grantee of Atlantic’s Children & Youth programme in the United States, which funds efforts to improve health outcomes for children through enhanced access to care.