As your child grows into early adulthood, it is tempting to lapse on their regular pediatrician visits. You know that you need to go to the doctor for pre-natal and early childhood care, but everything changes when you reach the teen years.
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Perhaps he seems to be in vigorously good health or she is self-conscious about her changing body, and it seems like too much trouble to keep going to the doctor. It is nonetheless important to continue getting that preventative care. It will also offer your child the opportunity to talk to an impartial third party about personal concerns that they may not be willing to talk about with you for fear of disciplinary reprisal, such as drug use among their peers, abusive relationship, and sexual activity.
The challenge is to be sure that you have health coverage for your teen-aged child. If you cannot purchase health insurance for your child through your employer, there are other low- or no-cost options available. The Affordable Health Care for Americans Act, which stipulates that all Americans should have health insurance coverage in a few years, is expected to provide subsidies for low-income Americans who cannot afford existing premiums. In the meantime, many states have programs for their residents will provides a stopgap until this measure takes place. For example, the California Healthy Families Act provides care for children up to their 19th birthday who qualify by income and do not benefit from MediCal, another insurance program which is for the very low-income residents of the state. Go online to find out if your state has a good program to help your family.
