Kentucky Insurers Must Offer Child-Only Coverage Open Enrollment in January 2012

Kentucky residents can now take advantage of the open enrollment starting January 2012 to obtain comprehensive child-only health insurance coverage. According to an order issued by the Kentucky Department of Insurance, health insurance companies in the state are required to offer a child only policy for children under age 19 with an open enrollment period from January 1, 2012 through January 31, 2012. Accordingly, leading carrier Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will be offering its SmartSense® Plus 2500 Plan with a March 1, 2012 effective date for this open enrollment period.

About the KY SmartSense Plus 2500

SmartSense Plus 2500 is unique in that it is Anthem’s only product available for Child-Only coverage which includes 50 percent network coinsurance, $2500 deductible per child, standard drug coverage, and extended Mental Health benefits. Your child would be assured of benefits such as doctors' office visits, bb services, inpatient services, emergency room visits, preventive care services, prescription drugs and mental health services.

Many Options to Enhance Coverage

Anthem also offers many optional coverage options for children. Dental well-being is vital to your child’s overall health and that’s why Anthem offers you the option to add on dental coverage to the SmartSense Plus 2500 Plan. Dental cover includes regular dental check-ups and cleanings. You can also purchase a separate dental health insurance plan for your child. Besides dental insurance, you can also opt for child term life insurance.

Qualifying for KY Child-Only Health Coverage

A beneficiary must meet the following conditions to qualify for SmartSense Plus 2500: • Be under 19 yrs of age
• Be a resident of the state of Kentucky

Applications sent outside of the January open enrollment period would be eligible only if one of the following conditions applies: • The child's COBRA coverage was exhausted
• The child lost dependent coverage as a result of loss of eligibility for coverage including: legal separation or divorce, loss of dependent status, or death of the person through whom the child was covered as a dependent
• Termination or change in employment status of the child or the person through whom the child was covered
• Loss of an employer’s contribution towards an employee or dependent's coverage

Contact a Health Insurance Broker

Your health insurance Kentucky application for child-only coverage under the SmartSense Plus 2500 plan must be postmarked or faxed no later than Jan 31, 2012. Before you send it off, you need to understand all the rules and the facts about the benefits offered under the plan. The best way to do this is to contact an experienced independent Kentucky health insurance broker.