Since the health care reform law was enacted in March 2010, some changes have taken place in the health insurance industry. One major provision involved kids' health insurance plans and how they handled pre-existing conditions. In the past, insurance providers could refuse to cover children with pre-existing medical conditions. Now, insurance providers should cover all children, regardless of health status.

More than half a million kids in California alone are estimated to be affected by this change in policy, and millions more may be affected across the country. Their parents can now purchase health coverage policies on the open market without risking a denial or unreasonable premium increases if their child has been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition. While insurance providers cannot deny coverage for children with pre-existing medical conditions, they can charge more. However, they still may not charge more than twice the standard rate.

When buying a child health insurance plan, you will need to sign up during the appropriate enrollment period. Many insurance providers offer an open enrollment period. You will also commonly be able to enroll if you experience a qualifying event, such as the divorce of a parent, job change, death or other major life change. If insurance is bought outside the open enrollment periods, the price may be higher. Additionally, if a child has been without health coverage for more than 90 days before enrolling for a new plan, an insurer may also impose a 20 percent surcharge. After 12 months, however, this surcharge must be discontinued.

In order to fully assess the cost of a children's health coverage policy, a family should consider not just the cost of the monthly premium but also any associated out-of-pocket costs, such as the yearly deductible, coinsurance, copays and any other costs. The right plan will fit comfortably into a family's budget without compromising on any necessary benefits. An inexpensive plan may be attractive at the beginning, however if it lacks in necessary benefits, it may not in the end be worth it. If the policy is a managed care plan, the parents should ensure the child's pediatrician or family care physician is in the plan's network of providers to keep costs more reasonable.

When insuring several kids, families may have other considerations. For some, it may make more financial sense to insure kids separately, specially if one child has a pre-existing condition. That way, only one policy will include the higher rates associated with the condition. Still, other families may realize more savings by opting for a family health plan, which can cover all members of the family. Family health policies will usually have individual deductibles as well as a family deductible, which may allow them to benefit more, depending on their overall health care needs.

At LAHealthCoverage.com, you can learn more about finding Children health insurance plans.