As a single parent, you'll probably find that the most cost-effective way to provide health insurance for your child is to add him or her to an existing employer-sponsored health insurance plan. The cost of this option will vary, depending on the type of coverage the employer offers and whether the employer pays all or part of the cost. Find out if your employer offers employee child coverage; typically, this type of coverage is significantly less expensive than family coverage.

Health insurance coverage for your child becomes a bit more complicated when you are a single parent who is divorced. You'll need to figure out whether your health plan or your ex-spouse's health plan is responsible for paying your child's health-care claims. If your child is covered by both health plans, generally the plan of the parent who has custody pays the child's health-care claims first, while the plan of the parent who does not have custody pays second. However, if a divorce court has stipulated which parent is responsible for the health-care expenses of the child, the responsible parent's health plan pays the child's health-care claims first.

If you Child has health problems that can be corrected with proper treatment, or has a medical condition that will require ongoing care, you may be concerned that your health insurance provider will refuse to cover your child because of his pre-existing condition. But if you have group health coverage, take heart. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 bans group health insurance companies from excluding newly adopted children from coverage because of pre-existing conditions. The law also includes a "portability provision." Check with your health insurance provider, though, to make sure that the treatment the child will require is covered under your policy.