Children Benefit When their Parents Have Health Coverage²⁵, ²⁶

Just as parents benefit when their children are insured, expanding access to health insurance for parents impacts, their children. When parents are insured:

• Eligible children are more likely to enroll in health insurance.
  In Massachusetts, expanded health insurance for adults cut the rate of uninsured children by half. More generally, studies have shown that 84 percent of children have the same insurance status as their parents.
• Children are more likely to remain enrolled.
  Covering parents makes it less likely that children will have breaks in their own Medicaid coverage.
• Children are more likely to receive the health care they need.
  Children with insured parents have a higher likelihood of receiving check-ups and other needed care than children with uninsured parents.
• Healthy parents positively impact children’s well-being.
  For example, when left untreated, maternal depression can be very damaging to child development. When poor mothers have access to care, it is more likely their depression will be treated.
• Healthy families are more financially secure.
  When sick parents are uninsured, their ability to work may be compromised. In addition, almost 25 percent of uninsured people have medical bills they cannot pay. These bills can tip the delicate balance of struggling to make ends meet. The impact can devastate families and even lead to homelessness.