Lifestyle
Get Your Kids Ready to Go Back-to-School with Affordable Health Coverage
Once school starts, life moves fast. There is homework, practices, permission slips, and early mornings. Before the calendar fills up, take a moment to make sure your child has affordable health coverage for the year ahead.
Get Your Kids Ready to Go Back-to-School with Affordable Health Coverage
(Feature Impact) Once school starts, life moves fast. There is homework, practices, permission slips, and early mornings. Before the calendar fills up, take a moment to make sure your child has health coverage for the year ahead.
Free or low-cost health coverage is available through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid in your state for eligible individuals. With health coverage, your kids and teens can get the care they need to stay healthy and do well in school.
Think your family might not qualify? You might be surprised. Many families may qualify for coverage without realizing it! Eligibility varies by state and is based on family income and household size. In most states, children up to age 19 from a family of four earning up to $80,000 per year may be eligible. In some states, eligible children can still qualify if family income is even higher.
Getting your child covered helps you get them the health care they may need. When a child is sick, the right medicines help them get back to school. If a child has a tough time focusing, there are supports to help. If your child does not see as well as other children, these programs cover glasses. Healthy kids are confident kids, who are ready to participate in every opportunity inside and outside the classroom!
Why Health Coverage Belongs on Your Kids’ Back-to-School List
Having health coverage can help families, like yours, to send your kids and teens off to school ready to learn. Depending on the program and a child’s individual needs, Medicaid and CHIP can provide eligible kids up to age 18 (Medicaid) or 19 (CHIP) with a range of services to support their health all year long, such as:
- Annual checkups and school physicals to prepare children to learn, play, and participate.
- Preventive care to identify health needs early and keep children healthy throughout the year.
- Dental care to help prevent tooth aches, cavities, and missed school days.
- Vision and hearing services to support learning and classroom participation.
- Mental health care to support emotional well-being and school success.
- Prescription medications and treatment to help manage symptoms and stay on track.
- Specialized services for children with disabilities to support growth and learning.
How to Apply
You can apply for Medicaid and CHIP in many ways:
- By phone
- By mail
- In-person through your state’s Medicaid or CHIP office
- Or find your state’s information online at InsureKidsNow.gov/coverage.
Act now to get your child covered before they need health care. Enrollment for these programs is open year-round, meaning families do not have to wait for a specific time of year to get covered.
Once enrolled, coverage must be renewed every twelve months, so it is important to keep your address, email, and phone number up to date with your state Medicaid or CHIP office to avoid missing important renewal information. Visit InsureKidsNow.gov or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669) for more information.
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. This communication was printed, published, or produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Food and Beverage
A Lesson in Kindness, Inclusion and How Kids Eat Differently
Kids Eat Differently: The school year brings new classmates, routines and opportunities for children to learn about people whose experiences may be different from their own. They could include friends who use a wheelchair, carry an inhaler or even receive nutrition through a feeding tube.
A Lesson in Kindness, Inclusion and How Kids Eat Differently
(Feature Impact) The school year brings new classmates, routines and opportunities for children to learn about people whose experiences may be different from their own. They could include friends who use a wheelchair, carry an inhaler or even receive nutrition through a feeding tube.
Watch this video to learn more
For families who rely on tube feeding, it is an essential part of daily life but is often understood only by those who experience it. That limited awareness can leave children who are tube fed and their families feeling isolated or unseen, according to Gerard Minor, a pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology specialist.
Parents can use everyday questions as opportunities to help children understand there are many ways people receive nourishment. Teachers, classmates, caregivers and communities can also help make tube feeding part of the everyday conversation around childhood rather than something that separates children from it.
“Helping children understand those differences early can encourage curiosity, kindness and inclusion,” Minor said.
To help bring greater awareness, understanding and representation to children and families who experience tube feeding every day, Compleat, a leader in tube feeding formulas, launched “What Is Better Than How,” featuring “Sesame Street’s” Elmo and his signature warmth and curiosity. The original song celebrates the many ways people eat. Some people eat with a fork, some use a spoon and some use a tube, reinforcing a simple message: What matters is not how you eat. What matters is that you are nourished, loved and included.
To hear the song, create a personalized version and learn more about the campaign, visit Compleat.com/WhatIsBetterThanHow.
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Consumer Corner
5 Hidden Ways to Save on Home Insurance Costs
Lowering Home Insurance Costs? Many home improvements offer an added bonus of unlocking insurance discounts, but these savings opportunities can easily fly under the radar when you aren’t actively on the lookout for them.
5 Hidden Ways to Save on Home Insurance Costs
(Feature Impact) When you’re planning home improvements, you’re often thinking about improving the comfort, safety, aesthetic or value of your home. Many changes and renovations have the added bonus of unlocking insurance discounts, but these savings opportunities can easily fly under the radar when you aren’t actively on the lookout for them.
“Homeowners tend to think about their insurance when they buy the house or when they have a claim, but a lot can change in between,” said Larry Anderson, director of underwriting operations at Mercury Insurance. “Something as simple as reviewing your policy with your agent once a year can help make sure your coverage still reflects your home today and identify improvements or other factors that may qualify you for additional savings.”
The experts at Mercury Insurance, a multiple-line insurance carrier emphasizing competitive rates and excellent customer service, encourage homeowners to consider these five ways to save on home insurance costs.
Updating Older Parts of the Home
As a home ages, it’s wise to look at what parts and systems may be deteriorating and need upgrades for modernity or safety reasons. Replacing older electrical, plumbing or other major systems can protect your home from emergencies and loss risks. Depending on the state you live in, your specific policy and the improvements you made, it can also qualify your property for an updated-home insurance discount.
Keep records of major improvements – including receipts, work permits and information about when the work was completed – and plan to discuss the upgrades during your next insurance review.
Adding Protective Technology
Beyond replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors, you can outfit your home with a variety of protective devices that make a difference to insurers. Consider options like monitored burglar and fire alarms, smart water sensors and automatic water shutoff systems designed to detect problems before they become major losses. Remember, while security upgrades can make your home less risky to insure, they won’t save you money if your insurer doesn’t know you’ve installed them.
Improving Resilience to Damage
If you live in an area prone to extreme weather or other hazards, resilience upgrades could both safeguard your home and access insurance savings. Depending on your location, qualifying improvements could include a stronger roof, wildfire mitigation measures or flood defense options. Local insurance agents can provide more specific guidance on ways to make your home less vulnerable to damage – or whether you’re eligible for discounts because of work you’ve already completed.
Qualifying for Community Programs
Even if you haven’t personally made renovations to your home, certain changes in your community could help you save on insurance. That could include local wildfire mitigation measures, membership in a qualifying homeowners association or other neighborhood characteristics that affect coverage options, but specific programs vary by location.
Reviewing Insurance Products and Discounts
Whether something significant has changed in your home or community or not, it’s always valuable to review your insurance coverage on a regular basis. For instance, there may be new products or discounts that simply didn’t exist when you originally purchased your policy. Beyond savings considerations alone, ask your agent questions to make sure your coverage still reflects your circumstances and goals.
“Finding savings is always welcome, but the bigger goal of a policy review is making sure your insurance keeps pace with your life and your home,” Anderson said. “A house isn’t static. We improve it, maintain it and protect it in new ways over time. Your insurance should keep up with those changes.”
For more information on homeowner coverage and discount eligibility, visit MercuryInsurance.com.
Questions to Consider During Your Annual Insurance Checkup
An annual insurance review is an opportunity to look for savings and update coverage. Use these questions as a jumping-off point for discussions with your agent:
- What has changed about my home?
- What has changed about my property or community?
- Have my circumstances changed?
- Are discounts available today that weren’t when I purchased my policy?
- Does my coverage still reflect what it would cost to repair or rebuild my home today?
Photos courtesy of Shuttersotck
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Health and Life Insurance
Lessons in Life Insurance: 4 Reasons Getting It May Be Easier Than You Think
Life is the most valuable thing you have – and like all valuable things, it should be insured. Even thinking about life insurance can be stressful, so it’s one of those things that’s easy to put off and tell yourself you’ll do another day. Consider these four ways to make getting life insurance simpler than you thought.
Lessons in Life Insurance: 4 Reasons Getting It May Be Easier Than You Think
(Feature Impact) Life is the most valuable thing you have – and like all valuable things, it should be insured. Even thinking about life insurance can be stressful, so it’s one of those things that’s easy to put off and tell yourself you’ll do another day.
If that’s how you feel, you aren’t alone. According to the 2026 Life Happens Life Insurance Survey, nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults have getting life insurance on their to-do list but plan to deal with it later or not at all. Confusion, procrastination and cost concerns are among the main reasons people kick this can down the road, according to 45% of respondents.
Yet the survey also uncovered an interesting disconnect: 69% of Americans said they personally know someone who had life insurance or whose family used a life insurance policy, most often a parent or parent figure (33%), but still haven’t made getting coverage a priority.
“Life insurance isn’t unfamiliar to most Americans,” Life Happens Executive Director Brian Steiner said. “The challenge is turning that awareness into action. People may think life insurance is something they can deal with later, but waiting can leave the people they love financially vulnerable. Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated, and professional guidance can help you find protection that fits your needs and budget.”
Consider these four ways to make getting life insurance simpler than you thought.
Watch this video to learn more
1. Find a policy that’s a fit.
Roughly 4 in 10 survey respondents reported feeling overwhelmed, anxious or some combination of both about planning for life insurance, with 12% citing thinking it’ll be too expensive as a reason they’ve delayed looking into, buying or updating life insurance.
The good news: There’s a policy that’s right for your current needs. It may be term life insurance, which provides protection for a specific period of time, like to cover a mortgage or tuition for children. There’s also permanent life insurance, which offers lifelong protection, as long as you pay the premiums.
2. Take advantage of digital tools
One-quarter of respondents said they’d be more likely to look into life insurance if they learned it was easier to get than they thought, and digital tools can help make that demand a reality.
It can take as little as two minutes to find out how much you need, for example, with the life insurance needs calculator from the nonprofit Life Happens. Just answer a few simple questions to estimate the amount of life insurance coverage you may need to take care of your family.
3. It’s about protection, not perfection.
Part of the anxiety around life insurance may be the perception that it should be perfect. For more than 1 in 5 survey participants, the plan is to seriously look at it when they feel more financially stable, and another 12% simply said they’ll do it when they’re older.
However, life insurance doesn’t have to check all the boxes for every stage of your life – you can find what works for your family right now then adjust as things change over time.
4. Professional help is available.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to tackling life insurance is the feeling that you’re in it alone. Overall, 55% of respondents said if they learned life insurance may be easier to get than they expected, they’d be more likely to start the process.
With professional help only a few clicks away, you can rest assured you’re on the path to a life insurance fit that’s right for you by visiting findapro.lifehappens.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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