Skip to main content
Blog Carnivals Health Care

Mother’s Day, Like Medicaid, Should Be Year Round

May 12, 2014
Ambar Calvillo's picture
Ambar Calvillo
Add your voice to the comments

Over 2 million young adults (18-34) now have coverage – many were able to stay on their parent’s plan – and this Mother’s Day we should take the time to thank the ones who helped make this happen. It’s no secret that Mothers, Mamas, and Care Givers everywhere helped ensure their families knew about the deadline to enroll in health coverage during the first open enrollment period. Our Get Covered America team met women across the country in search of information they could share with their families.  During phone banks, it was not unusual to have mothers stop the call and bring their sons or daughters to the phone to make sure they had what they needed to get covered.

Our team also found women were 47% more likely to report they were sharing information about health insurance with their friends and family, during the December holidays, than their male counterparts. Luckily, this Mother’s Day holiday, women (our champions for coverage) can also share that families eligible for Medicaid and CHIP can enroll all year round. That means families eligible for Medicaid don’t have to wait until the next open enrollment period and can apply at any time. Here are a few things worth sharing about Medicaid and CHIP:

  • Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provide free or low cost health coverage.

  • Medicaid and CHIP provide access to dentists, regular checkups, vaccines, hospital care and more.

  • Even if you are not eligible, your children may be able to get covered through Medicaid or CHIP.

  • Enrollment for Medicaid (along with CHIP) is open year round! If you or your children are eligible today, you can apply for coverage and enroll at any time.  

  • People who may have been denied Medicaid in the past may now qualify.

Bottom line is comprehensive care is available for women and families, and there are resources available that make it easier to understand how to access them. If you are newly covered or want more information on how to keep and use your coverage, check out the information session with the National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, and Enroll America.

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).

 

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.

MomsRising.org strongly encourages our readers to post comments in response to blog posts. We value diversity of opinions and perspectives. Our goals for this space are to be educational, thought-provoking, and respectful. So we actively moderate comments and we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that undermine these goals. Thanks!