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HealthCare4ChildCare

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Center or Home Currently Not Offering Health Insurance to Employees

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Yes. You are eligible to participate because you are a licensed child development facility. Child development centers, child development homes, and expanded child development homes in the District of Columbia licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) can participate in HealthCare4ChildCare.
No. HealthCare4ChildCare is voluntary. You can choose to participate.

Yes. Your employees who are District residents qualify for free health insurance through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums only if you enroll in health insurance on DC Health Link’s Small Business Marketplace.

Yes. All your full-time and part-time employees are eligible for free or lower premiums. To be eligible, a person must be an employee and not a contractor or volunteer. Employees are eligible for HealthCare4ChildCare even if they are not eligible for the supplemental payment under the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. Eligibility is also not based on income or immigration status.
No. You are not required to help pay for the coverage. We do encourage employers to contribute, if their financial position allows it. Some employers cannot afford to contribute to premiums. HealthCare4ChildCare recognizes that and makes it easy for all employers to benefit.

Yes. HealthCare4ChildCare will help pay for premiums. Your coverage will either be free or you will have lower premiums.

Free coverage

  • Your employees who are District residents will get free coverage through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace.
  • Your employees who are not District residents will get free coverage if they enroll in the lowest cost gold Essential Plan. HealthCare4ChildCare will pay for the lowest cost gold Essential Plan on DC Health Link’s Small Business Marketplace. If your employees choose this plan, then there will be no additional cost to them for employee coverage. If an employee covers their dependents, the additional cost will be for their dependents.

You can also decide to offer platinum-level coverage, but it won’t be free. You will get the value of the lowest cost gold Essential Plan applied toward the platinum coverage so you and your employees will have lower premiums.

Our DC Health Link experts will work with you so that you know all your options for free and lower premium coverage.

Yes. All plans are Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans covering doctors, hospitals, lab work, prescription medications, and other services. DC Health Link’s Essential Plans ensure that essential services are covered without any deductibles. Services without deductibles include primary care visits (no limit on number of visits), specialists (no limit on number of visits), outpatient mental and behavioral health services (no limit on number of visits), urgent care, emergency care, and generic prescriptions. Essential Plans also cover Type 2 diabetes care and prescriptions without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles, including insulin, lab work, eye exams, and foot exams. Additionally, children covered by a DC Health Link Essential Plan only have a $5 copay for outpatient mental health visits, specialist visits (no limit on number of visits), and prescription drugs. Starting in 2025, Essential Plans will also cover heart disease and stroke care without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.

DC Health Link covers 100,000 people, more than 5,300 District employers and is the designated source of coverage for Congress, which includes members and their staff across the country. DC Health Link has the purchasing power of 100,000 people, just like a large employer.

DC Health Link group coverage is comprehensive ACA coverage with nationwide and local provider networks from 3 UnitedHealthcare companies, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield HMO and PPO, and Kaiser Permanente. There are nearly 200 health plans to choose from at all deductible levels, including zero deductible and HSA-compatible plans.

All your employees who are District residents qualify for free health insurance premiums through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace. An employee can choose to enroll in a gold Essential Plan from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (HMO or PPO) or Kaiser Permanente. And premiums will be free for the employee and their family.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums depending on the level of coverage you select. The premium for the lowest cost group gold Essential Plan will be free for an employee. Premiums for other plans will be lower.

HealthCare4ChildCare pays for premiums only. It does not pay for co-payments, co-insurance, and annual deductibles.

No. HealthCare4ChildCare only pays for health insurance premiums. It does not pay for annual deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance.

Enrolling into a DC Health Link gold Essential Plan will help you maximize your insurance benefits. Essential Plans cover many in-network medical services without you having to meet the deductible first. Care and services covered without a deductible include:

  • primary care visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • specialist visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • mental and behavioral outpatient health services (no limit on number of visits),
  • generic prescription drugs,
  • urgent care, and
  • emergency care.
Yes. You are eligible to enroll, even though you are an owner, if you have at least one employee (not your spouse) who enrolls in the group health plan.
Yes. Once you are enrolled in HealthCare4ChildCare, free or lower premiums are guaranteed for 12 months.
Please complete HealthCare4ChildCare Contact Form. DC Health Link will follow up with you to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting. We will discuss your options, set up a DC Health Link account for you, and enroll you in HealthCare4ChildCare.

Center or Home Offering Health Insurance to Employees Through DC Health Link

View FAQs
Yes. You are eligible to participate because you are a licensed child development facility. Child development centers, child development homes, and expanded child development homes in the District of Columbia licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) can participate in HealthCare4ChildCare.
No. HealthCare4ChildCare is voluntary. You can choose to participate.

Yes. Your employees who are District residents qualify for either free health insurance through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace, or free or lower premiums only if you continue to offer group coverage on DC Health Link’s Small Business Marketplace and choose this option for all your employees, regardless of their residency.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums only if you continue to have group coverage on DC Health Link’s Small Business Marketplace.

Yes. All your full-time and part-time employees are eligible for free or lower premiums. To be eligible, a person must be an employee and not a contractor or volunteer. Employees are eligible for HealthCare4ChildCare even if they are not eligible for the supplemental payment under the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. Eligibility is also not based on income or immigration status.

Yes. All plans are Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans covering doctors, hospitals, lab work, prescription medications, and other services. DC Health Link’s Essential Plans ensure that essential services are covered without any deductibles. Services without deductibles include primary care visits (no limit on number of visits), specialists (no limit on number of visits), outpatient mental and behavioral health services (no limit on number of visits), urgent care, emergency care, and generic prescriptions. Essential plans also cover Type 2 diabetes care and prescriptions without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles, including insulin, lab work, eye exams, and foot exams. Additionally, children covered by a DC Health Link essential plan only have a $5 copay for outpatient mental health visits, specialist visits (no limit on number of visits), and prescription drugs. Starting in 2025, Essential Plans will also cover heart disease and stroke care without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.

DC Health Link covers 100,000 people, more than 5,300 District employers and is the designated source of coverage for Congress, which includes members and their staff across the country. DC Health Link has the purchasing power of 100,000 people, just like a large employer.

DC Health Link group coverage is comprehensive ACA coverage with nationwide and local provider networks from 3 UnitedHealthcare companies, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield HMO and PPO, and Kaiser Permanente. There are nearly 200 health plans to choose from at all deductible levels, including zero deductible and HSA-compatible plans.

All your employees who are District residents qualify for free health insurance premiums through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace. An employee can choose to enroll in a gold Essential Plan from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (HMO or PPO) or Kaiser Permanente. And premiums will be free for the employee and their family.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums depending on the level of coverage you select. The premium for the lowest cost group gold Essential Plan will be free for an employee. Premiums for other plans will be lower.

HealthCare4ChildCare pays for premiums only. It does not pay for co-payments, co-insurance, and annual deductibles.

No. HealthCare4ChildCare only pays for health insurance premiums. It does not pay for annual deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance.

Enrolling into a DC Health Link gold Essential Plan will help you maximize your insurance benefits. Essential Plans cover many in-network medical services without you having to meet the deductible first. Care and services covered without a deductible include:

  • primary care visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • specialist visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • mental and behavioral outpatient health services (no limit on number of visits),
  • generic prescription drugs,
  • urgent care, and
  • emergency care.
Yes. Once you are enrolled in HealthCare4ChildCare, free or lower premiums are guaranteed for 12 months.
Please complete HealthCare4ChildCare Contact Form. DC Health Link will follow up with you to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting to enroll you in HealthCare4ChildCare.

Center or Home Offering Health Insurance to Employees But Not Through DC Health Link

View FAQs
Yes. You are eligible to participate because you are a licensed child development facility. Child development centers, child development homes, and expanded child development homes in the District of Columbia licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) can participate in HealthCare4ChildCare.
No. Free and low premium health insurance under HealthCare4ChildCare is only available on DC Health Link. To get free or low premium health insurance you will have to enroll in health insurance on DC Health Link.

Yes. DC Health Link covers 100,000 people, more than 5,300 District employers and is the designated source of coverage for Congress, which includes members and their staff across the country. DC Health Link has the purchasing power of 100,000 people, just like a large employer.

DC Health Link group coverage is comprehensive coverage with nationwide and local provider networks from 3 UnitedHealthcare companies, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield HMO and PPO, and Kaiser Permanente.

There are nearly 200 health plans to choose from at all deductible levels, including zero deductible and HSA-compatible plans. All plans are Affordable Care Act plans covering doctors, hospitals, lab work, prescription medications, and other services. DC Health Link’s Essential Plans ensure that essential services are covered without any deductibles. Services without deductibles include primary care visits (no limit on number of visits), specialists (no limit on number of visits), outpatient mental and behavioral health services (no limit on number of visits), urgent care, emergency care, and generic prescriptions. Essential plans also cover Type 2 diabetes care and prescriptions without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles, including insulin, lab work, eye exams, and foot exams. Additionally, children covered by a DC Health Link essential plan only have a $5 copay for outpatient mental health visits, specialist visits (no limit on number of visits), and prescription drugs. Starting in 2025, Essential Plans will also cover heart disease and stroke care without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.

DC Health Link experts can work with you and your Broker (if you have one) to identify the most comparable benefits and networks to what you offer currently.

No. HealthCare4ChildCare is voluntary. You can choose to participate.

Yes. Your employees who are District residents qualify for free health insurance through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums only if you enroll in health insurance on DC Health Link’s Small Business Marketplace.

Yes. All your full-time and part-time employees are eligible for free or lower premiums. To be eligible, a person must be an employee and not a contractor or volunteer. Employees are eligible for HealthCare4ChildCare even if they are not eligible for the supplemental payment under the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. Eligibility is also not based on income or immigration status.
It depends. Your employees who are District residents are eligible to enroll in free health insurance, even if you choose not to enroll in DC Health Link coverage. Your employees who are not District residents are not eligible for free or low premium health insurance. For your employees who are not District residents to be eligible, you must enroll in group health insurance on DC Health Link.

Yes. All plans are Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans covering doctors, hospitals, lab work, prescription medications, and other services. DC Health Link’s Essential Plans ensure that essential services are covered without any deductibles. Services without deductibles include primary care visits (no limit on number of visits), specialists (no limit on number of visits), outpatient mental and behavioral health services (no limit on number of visits), urgent care, emergency care, and generic prescriptions. Essential plans also cover Type 2 diabetes care and prescriptions without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles, including insulin, lab work, eye exams, and foot exams. Additionally, children covered by a DC Health Link essential plan only have a $5 copay for outpatient mental health visits, specialist visits (no limit on number of visits), and prescription drugs. Starting in 2025, Essential Plans will also cover heart disease and stroke care without co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.

DC Health Link covers 100,000 people, more than 5,300 District employers and is the designated source of coverage for Congress, which includes members and their staff across the country. DC Health Link has the purchasing power of 100,000 people, just like a large employer.

DC Health Link group coverage is comprehensive ACA coverage with nationwide and local provider networks from 3 UnitedHealthcare companies, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield HMO and PPO, and Kaiser Permanente. There are nearly 200 health plans to choose from at all deductible levels, including zero deductible and HSA-compatible plans.

All your employees who are District residents qualify for free health insurance premiums through DC Health Link’s Individual & Family Marketplace. An employee can choose to enroll in a gold Essential Plan from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (HMO or PPO) or Kaiser Permanente. And premiums will be free for the employee and their family.

Your employees who are not District residents qualify for free or lower premiums depending on the level of coverage you select. The premium for the lowest cost group gold Essential Plan will be free for an employee. Premiums for other plans will be lower.

HealthCare4ChildCare pays for premiums only. It does not pay for co-payments, co-insurance, and annual deductibles.

No. HealthCare4ChildCare only pays for health insurance premiums. It does not pay for annual deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance.

Enrolling into a DC Health Link gold Essential Plan will help you maximize your insurance benefits. Essential Plans cover many in-network medical services without you having to meet the deductible first. Care and services covered without a deductible include:

  • primary care visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • specialist visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • mental and behavioral outpatient health services (no limit on number of visits),
  • generic prescription drugs,
  • urgent care, and
  • emergency care.
Yes. You can continue to use your Broker. DC Health Link experts will work with your Broker.
Yes. Once you are enrolled in HealthCare4ChildCare, free or lower premiums are guaranteed for 12 months.
Please complete HealthCare4ChildCare Contact Form. DC Health Link will follow up with you to schedule a virtual or in- person meeting. We will discuss your options, set up your DC Health Link account, and enroll you in HealthCare4ChildCare.
Yes. You can keep all your employees – both District and non-District residents – in your group coverage. DC Health Link will work with your Broker to enroll you in HC4CC. If you prefer, we’ll work with you directly. You’ll need to provide us with an employee roster and information about your current plan. DC Health Link will take it from there and provide expert help at every step of the enrollment process.

Home With No Employees/Self-Employed

View FAQs
Yes. You are eligible to participate because you are a licensed child development home. Child development centers, child development homes, and expanded child development homes in the District of Columbia licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) can participate in HealthCare4ChildCare. Homes with employees and without employees are eligible for HealthCare4ChildCare.
No. HealthCare4ChildCare is voluntary. You can choose to participate.
Nothing. Your health insurance premiums will be free. You must have a license from OSSE as a child development home. For District residents (and their families) HealthCare4ChildCare pays for health insurance premiums through DC Health Link.
Yes. You qualify to participate in HealthCare4ChildCare even if you have coverage now. Many people who work in early child development are struggling to keep their health insurance. HealthCare4ChildCare recognizes that and covers people who are insured, as well as covering people who are uninsured.

No. HealthCare4ChildCare only pays for health insurance premiums. It does not pay for annual deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance.

Enrolling into a DC Health Link gold Essential Plan will help you maximize your insurance benefits. Essential Plans cover many in-network medical services without you having to meet the deductible first. Care and services covered without a deductible include:

  • primary care visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • specialist visits (no limit on number of visits),
  • mental and behavioral outpatient health services (no limit on number of visits),
  • generic prescription drugs,
  • urgent care, and
  • emergency care.
Yes. Once you are enrolled in HealthCare4ChildCare, free health insurance premiums are guaranteed for 12 months.
Please complete HealthCare4ChildCare Contact Form. DC Health Link will follow up with you to schedule a virtual or in- person meeting. We will discuss your options, set up a DC Health Link account for you, and enroll you in HealthCare4ChildCare.
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