Extension of publicly supported health insurance options to low-income uninsured parents can have the additional benefit of increasing enrollment of their children.

Uninsured parents have poorer health, have poorer access to the health care system, are less satisfied with the care they receive when they gain access, and are more likely to have negative experiences related to bill collection compared with insured parents.

Parents’ use of health care is a powerful predictor of children’s use of health care services.

The health of one family member can affect the health and well-being of other family members. In particular, the health of parents can play an important role in the well-being of their children.

Parents in low-income families and families with children have higher rates of poor mental and physical health than do parents in higher-income families. There is substantial overlap between poor parental physical and mental health.

Family stress may adversely affect the health of its members and is associated with higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems in children. Lower-income families tend to have higher levels of stress than higher-income families.

There is some very limited evidence that having health insurance for children may reduce the amount of family stress, enable children to get the care they need, and ease some family burdens.