Parents Spend Billions Annually On Child Injuries; Understanding Risks And Insurance Implications Key To Childproofing Your Finances

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As a new school year approaches, parents start to tally up the expenses for school supplies, new clothes, physicals, extracurricular activities and more. But the list doesn't end there. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) urges consumers to consider safety when it comes to child-related expenses.

From retrofitting a home for a new baby to teaching a teenager safe driving habits and everything in between, Americans work hard to keep their children safe. Yet despite best intentions, on average, parents spend an estimated $11.5 billion annually on injuries to children. ¹

"From the time a child is born through its teenage years, child-related injuries can occur at a moment's notice," said Adam Hamm, NAIC President and North Dakota Insurance Commissioner. "We urge parents to educate themselves about the safety risks and insurance implications of raising a child to reduce injuries, save money and potentially even save a life."

To help consumers get smart about insurance before the unpredictable happens, the NAIC developed Get Ready resources for new parents. The resource kit includes a variety of tips and tools, such as eye-opening statistics, challenging questions to consider and a Take Action Now checklist of things to do, even before a little one arrives.

Eye-opening statistics include:

• Parents spend an estimated $241,000 on child-related necessities from birth to age 17. ²
• Forty-four percent of playground equipment injuries occur at home.³

Questions to consider include:

• Am I prepared financially should my child need special medical treatment?
• What is my/our responsibility if another child gets hurt while playing at our house?

If you are about to become a new parent, some steps to include:

• Find out how your health plan covers prenatal and neo-natal screenings and emergency procedures, such as a C-section.
• Before your due date, find out the deadline for registering a newborn with your health insurance company.

Get Ready resources for new parents are available at InsureUOnline.org. Consumers interested in insurance information specific to where they live can contact their state insurance commissioner.

Sources

1)      "Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries are Preventable." http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/
2)      "Parents Projected to Spend $241,080 to Raise a Child Born in 2012, According to USDA Report." United States Department of Agriculture; August 14, 2013. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/08/0160.xml
3)      "Injuries and Investigated Deaths Associated with Playground Equipment." Consumer Product Safety Commission; October 29, 2009. http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/108596/playground.pdf

ABOUT NAIC

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review and coordinate their regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally. NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S. For more information, visit www.naic.org.

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SOURCE National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

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