It is important for everyone to have health insurance, but it's especially important for children. Here's how to get low-cost children's health insurance to help keep your children healthy and growing strong.

Why do Children Need Health Insurance?

Even if your children are healthy, health insurance can help them stay that way. Consider these facts:

* Uninsured children are less likely to have their health needs taken care of.

* Uninsured children are less likely to get the prescription drugs they need.

* Uninsured children are more likely to end up in the hospital.

Even healthy children need vaccinations plus well-baby and well-child checkups to ensure they stay healthy. And every child is going to have illnesses that require medical attention, whether it's a simple ear infection or a chronic illness.

What Resources are Available for Children's Health Insurance?

About nine million children age 18 and younger lack health insurance in the United States. Almost half of these children may qualify for Medicaid coverage or other state-sponsored children's health insurance programs that offer free or low-cost health insurance. Your state's insurance website will help you determine if your family qualifies for such a program.

Another option is to look for affordable private insurance. Think private health insurance will be too expensive? You can keep the costs down by choosing an HMO or PPO plan, which offer lower costs in exchange for your choosing a health care provider from an approved list.

In addition, you can save money by shopping rates and finding the company with the best rate for the coverage you need. To shop rates, go to an insurance comparison website and get quotes from several insurance companies. Compare their costs, coverages, and features, then choose the plan that's best for your children (see link below).