Large families can go about obtaining dental care in a variety of ways. There is no one “right way” to get dental care for your family if you have several children or more living in a home.
In a country where more than 7.13 million households in the Us have 3 or more children residing in the home with at least two (2) or more adults. These are considered “large families” by US standards where the average amount of children per home is about 1.89 children as of 2013.
The following are options for dental care for large families as this is a vital service to helping children grow up healthy well into the future:
Jobs with Dental Insurance:
One way that many large families afford dental insurance is that one or both parents work and can put up to “X” many family members on their insurance policy through their employer. Most employers will cover most children under the age of 25 on their parent’s healthcare plans as long as they are claimed as “dependents”.
While some companies only offer coverage for so many dependents, others do not limit the number of dependents who can claim healthcare. Other times, both parents work and claim themselves and some of their children on their together, there is enough healthcare to go around for everyone.
Health Savings Accounts:
If your job offers Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) you can put money into that account for dental care for your family with employer money ever being taxed. Employers have a maximum per person that can be put in there, but if you have more children, you can usually put more money away tax-free. Sometimes employers match up to a certain percentage and can help you get more money to help provide oral healthcare for your family.
Independent Insurances:
Many families who have several or more children use plans like COBRA or other similar ideas to ensure that their children have healthcare. Many of these plans can be expensive but help bridge the gap between jobs or cover extra children who the parent’s jobs are not willing to pay to ensure that they are covered.
Children Covered By Government Plans:
Under the ACA every child under the age of 19 is covered for basic dental benefits, which means that government-sponsored programs for lower-income families with many children are guaranteed coverage for their minors through the age of 19. These public programs may only cover the basics, but help many children from large families keep their oral health in top condition while the family may have a lower income. For families who work lower-income jobs or don’t get healthcare benefits for their family through part-time work, these dental benefits can be a real lifesaver.
Conclusions:
There is no one “right way” to get healthcare coverage for large families, but there are a variety of options out there based on your family’s income. Coverage helps your children maintain oral health and keeps them healthy well into the future. There is no one “right or wrong” way to obtain dental care for your family, but whatever works for you can work to give your children the healthcare they need for oral care.Â