How can I get health insurance for my family member?

My little cousin has absolutely no health insurance, and he has never even been to the dentist. Right now, he really needs extensive dental work. Unfortunately, his parents are ill-equipped to help in this situation, and he is not old enough to get his own insurance (nor is he old enough to work). Basically, it's impossible for his parents to get insurance for him, so I want to help him myself. Since I am not his parent, and our slight age difference makes it impossible for me to pretend to be his parent, I don't see how I can put him on my insurance. He doesn't really speak to his parents, so that makes it even more difficult to coordinate anything with them.





I don't make that much money, so I couldn't possibly pay for the work solely out of my pocket. Some sort of financial assistance is simply a must. What can I do to help pay for this dental work?

How can I get health insurance for my family member?
I’m not sure whether you can include your cousin on your health insurance; you should call your insurance company, your state insurance office (link below), or a local insurance agent (link below) if you’d rather not talk with the company. I do know that the definition of “dependent” has changed lately regarding health insurance. Some states have extended the eligible age and others have broadened who can have dependents on their health insurance (grandparents, for example).





As for financial assistance, I’ve included several links that might be of use. Some free clinics also provide dental services, so that would be a free or discounted option (also try searching for your county’s health department. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), offers health insurance for kids, although you might have to get the parents involved. Insure Kids Now is a Web site where you can look for state-sponsored insurance programs, many of which include dental coverage. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a resource page to help promote children’s access to health care, and you might also want to try contacting the American Dental Association to see if they have any dentists that do pro bono work in your area.





Hope this helps. It's touching that you want to help out your cousin.


Barnes@MostChoice
Reply:Depending on the insurance company, chances are you probably won't be able to put him on your insurance unless you legally adopt him. What you could look into, is getting Social Services involved %26amp; see about getting him government assistance. In the state of Virginia, people in his situation can get Medicaid plans that cover dental work until he turns 21. (With these plans, the patient also has no co-pay, Bonus!)