Parents with Medicaid-eligible children faces challenges shopping on marketplace

Families in which children qualify for Medicaid but parents do not are running into complications when shopping for coverage on the federally facilitated insurance marketplace (Source: “Health Law Tricky for Parents of Medicaid Kids,” Associated Press via Defiance Crescent-News, Jan. 26, 2014).

The problem is that children who qualify for Medicaid can't be included on subsidized family plans purchased through the federal marketplace, a fact that is taking many parents by surprise and leaving some kids stuck without coverage.

"The children are getting stuck in this spot where we've enrolled the parent, but we can't bring the children back on the family plan," Maria Proulx, senior legal counsel for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire, told a state advisory board panel this month.