More on Health Care

Things You Can Do

Low-Cost Health Care for Children

• You can get low-cost health, dental and vision insurance for children. It’s a great choice even if you have a middle income. Call Healthy Families or Kaiser Cares for Kids.
• The Child Health and Disability Prevention Program (CHDP) provides free well-child checkups for children and teens in low-income families. Call your county Health Department. Call Health Care.
• California Children’s Services can arrange for specialty care for children with some costly medical conditions. Find out if you qualify. Call your Health Department or visit www.dhs.ca.gov/pcfh/cms.
• For low-cost eye care for children, call Sight for Students or visit www.sightforstudents.org.
• Some Medi-Cal programs serve children with disabilities or children whose parents work, but have a low income. Call Medi-Cal Hotline.
• To learn about immigrants’ eligibility for health programs, call CHIRLA.

Finding Information on the Internet

There is a lot of health information on the Internet. Not all of it is reliable. Start with a website that will help you find information you can trust. Visit www.healthfinder.gov, www.kidshealth.org or www.womenshealth.gov.

Your Child’s Weight

About 1 out of 4 children in the United States is overweight and needs to eat less and exercise more. A healthy diet and an active lifestyle are the best ways to prevent excess weight gain. Set a good example by eating healthily, exercising and limiting TV and computer time. Never put a child on a diet without consulting your doctor first. Limiting a child’s diet too much can harm her growth and development. Visit www.kidshealth.org or www.drgreene.org.