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May 15, 2007Comparing Public and Private Health Insurance for Children |
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From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: The available evidence indicates that public health coverage is less expensive than private insurance and provides comparable, and in some cases better, access to health care for children. Many private plans do not offer dental or vision care, services that are important for children, and some low-cost private plans do not even offer basic services like prescription drugs or preventive care. (More rigorous limits apply for children with lower incomes, particularly those below the poverty line.) In contrast, private plans --- particularly low-cost private plans --- often impose high levels of cost-sharing that can render health care unaffordable for low-income families. For many children, the deductibles exceed typical annual medical expenditures, so the private plans may offer little or no financial help for children's medical bills that families incur. The average medical expense for a privately-insured child was $1,314 per year.
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