Parenting in a post-divorce family often requires thinking outside the box. After all, if you share parenting duties with your former partner, you must be sure to consider his or her concerns. When it comes to your child’s healthcare, though, you may face additional challenges.
Even under ideal circumstances, healthcare in the United States can be complex and tough to navigate. Dealing with insurance providers, doctors, hospitals and specialists can seem like a full-time job. When you add in your child’s best interests and the viewpoint of a co-parent, you are likely to have your hands full. Rather than letting anxiety get the better of you, consider the following healthcare concerns for your post-divorce family:
Health insurance
Healthcare can be unbelievably expensive. If your child does not have health insurance, a trip to the emergency room may set you back thousands of dollars. Accordingly, it is imperative that you choose a good insurance plan for the young one in your family. When it comes to purchasing coverage, you probably have some options. You may choose to add your child to your plan, your spouse may provide coverage or you both may think about including your child.
Incidental costs
Even if your child has insurance coverage, you are likely to face a variety of incidental costs. For example, you may need to pay a copay or buy supplemental insurance. Addressing which parent covers ancillary healthcare costs is an important part of any custody agreement or parenting plan.
Overall care
Finally, you need to make some decisions about your child’s overall care. Who should be the child’s treating physician? Should the young one in your family have certain vaccines? Will you administer over-the-counter medication? By proactively addressing as many child healthcare issues as possible, you minimize future conflict with your former spouse.
You do not want to wait until your child is sick to think about his or her healthcare. If you share parenting responsibilities with your former partner, coming up with a child healthcare strategy is likely a good idea.
