In the United States approximately 14% of children are classified as having special health care needs. Special needs children are technically defined as children who suffer chronic physical, mental or behavioral conditions that persist for more than one year. There are many possible corresponding conditions that children, their parents and doctors battle. The fight for a child's health requires health insurance to help parents pay for the expenses, and special needs children will have higher than average expenses. Health insurance quotes allow parents to compare the costs and benefits associated with many plans, and thereby choose the best and most affordable coverage for their family.

Special needs children are not a uniform group. Although they all require additional care for non-acute conditions, they require individual and distinct care. Likewise, no single plan best serves all conditions. Health insurance is a personalized product, and like all children and adults, special needs children and their parents must fully consider all plan components.

The particular treatment needs of the child, which may include specialists, extended hospital stays or prescriptions, will largely determine the most appropriate plan. Some conditions may require large amounts of prescription medication; in or out-patient therapy; counseling or school services; frequent trips to the emergency room or infrequent but lengthy hospital stays. Finding a plan that covers all circumstances equally would likely be highly expensive. Selecting a plan based on the very specific needs of each child helps make insurance coverage more affordable.

In order to determine the best health insurance plan for a special needs child, several other factors in addition to the specific treatments covered need to be considered. The first is regarding deductibles and maximums. Some insurance plans will have a deductible, an amount the patient or caregiver must pay before the insurer will pay for care. Similarly, some plans will have maximums. This could be either a maximum the insurer or the insured will pay. The expected annual and lifetime costs associated with treating a special needs child must be included with the health insurance quote to determine the actual worth of a plan. The second influencing factor is the restrictions placed on the plan. These may include requiring in-network providers or requesting referrals.

Parents cannot afford to sacrifice care when it comes to treatment for special needs children. However, few parents have infinite funds for that treatment, and affordable health insurance is a necessity. Health insurance quotes, coverage details, deductibles, maximums and plan restrictions must be incorporated with the specific needs of the child to ensure that the best and most affordable care is available.