Do Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Qualify for Insurance

There were in 2001 1.9% of children being raised by relatives other than their parents, according to the census bureau by 2004 this number had risen to 4%, and it continues to climb. 55% of these children not raised by other relatives are in the care of grandparents.

Rarely do these children have health insurance from their parents as they are often times not working. Even when they are working many of the parents who cannot care for their children are not in a position where they themselves have health insurance. What are grandparents to do?

When grandparents have insurance they sometimes find that this insurance will not cover children without proof of adoption. Adoption is not always the solution to resolve the temporary situation these children are in.

That is the case of all grandparents who are covered by Federal Insurance programs administered by Champus or Champ VA. These benefits, do not extend to children who were not adopted.

There may be many other reasons why grandparents cannot get health insurance for these children. Every state has a medicaid insurance program for low income families. These programs are the first place to turn to, to secure insurance for uninsured grandchildren.

While medicaid programs are for low income families, some do offer insurance regardless of income for grandparents raising grandchildren. Keep in mind that these children would, were it not for your raising them, be in foster care and cost the state much more. Local SRS offices are the place for the first line of information. You should ask for programs that are not income contingent, as the lack of coverage cannot be overcome.

Medical insurance is evidently the primary concern for most grandparents raising grandchildren, however relatives who raise children can also qualify for other benefits, such as child care subsidies, disability benefits, and special education services. CDF (children defense fund) might be a source of information about these programs.

If the grandchildren you are caring for were at one time placed in the foster care program, before they came to live with you, you may also qualify under the Federal Kinship Guardianship Assistance program, and receive guardianship assistance payments.

While requirements for application may vary with each state in the union, at the time of writing this article every state had a program of low cost or no cost health insurance for grandparents as caregivers.