Scope of Health Care Benefits for Children From Birth Through Age 21

Abstract

The optimal health of children can best be achieved by providing access to comprehensive health care benefits. This policy statement outlines and defines the recommended set of health insurance benefits for children through age 21. These services encompass medical care, critical care, pediatric surgical care, behavioral health services, specialized services for children with special health care needs, and oral health. It replaces the 1997 statement, “Scope of Health Care Benefits for Newborns, Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Through Age 21 Years.”