Medical Costs

Most insurance companies will cover the child’s medical expenses on the date the adoptive parents receive placement of the child. Federal laws, including the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 OBRA 93 (private employers) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 HIEPA (governmental employers), prohibit discrimination against adopted children. Health insurance coverage for adopted children is available to families covered by most group health plans at the time of placement, which is defined as the time when the adoptive family assumes financial responsibility for the child. Heath insurance plans that are individual plans (not employer-sponsored) are not subject to federal regulation.