Insurance and Other Resources for Families

Insurance and Medical Billing Support

• Choosing Your Famiy’s Health Insurance Coverage
• How to Read Your Child’s Medical Bills & Insurance Forms
• Medical Billing Help: Understanding Your Charges

Neurodevelopmental and Psychosocial Quality of Life

Although once nearly fatal, both survival and life expectancy of individuals with heart defects have significantly increased with early diagnosis, improved surgical interventions and better medical management. This focus area takes a public health approach to addresses the long-term outcomes, burden to the individual and his/her family and capacity of the health and human services systems to support survivors is needed to improve quality of life.

• Developmental, physical, psychosocial and mental health disabilities are common with CHD survivors.
• Hospital costs for pediatric patients with CHD exceeded $5.6 billion in 2009,15.1% of the total costs for all U.S. hospitalizations for children and adolescents aged 0‐20 years.
• Defining and evaluating optimal care for CHD patients across the lifespan may improve outcomes.  

Reducing Risk for CHDs

Research suggests that there may be certain prevention activities that a mother (and father) can do to help increase the chance of having a baby with a healthy heart.

• Take 400 mcg (0.4) mg) or more of folic acid before pregnancy starts.
• Maintain a healthy weight, participate in regular physical activity and follow a healthy diet.
• Talk to their doctor if they have a chronic condition, such as diabetes (may be unrecognized), epilepsy, PKU or high blood pressure, or if they are taking medications.
• Avoid secondhand smoke.
• Stay up to date with immunizations, including rubella.
• Treat high fever early.

Additional Resources from Healthychildren.org

• Congenital Heart Defects in Newborns: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
• Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening to Detect Critical Congenital Heart Disease
• Supporting Your Child with a Congenital Heart Defect into Adulthood
• Preconception Counseling for Women with a Congenital Heart Defect
• Reproductive Health in Young Women with Congenital Heart Defects
• Planning a Healthy Pregnancy with a Congenital Heart Defect
• Birth Control for Young Women with a Congenital Heart Defect
• Parenting with a Congenital Heart Defect: Why Prioritizing Your Own Health is Important