On behalf of Mohajer Law Firm, APC posted in child custody and parenting plans on Friday, February 22, 2019.
If you’re divorcing and you have a child with a medical condition that requires regular treatment, therapy and/or medication, it’s essential for you and your co-parent to work to ensure that your child’s care doesn’t suffer as you share custody.
Of course, ensuring that your child’s health insurance coverage continues uninterrupted is crucial. You and your co-parent need to work out which one of you will carry your child on your insurance plan. If you both have employer-sponsored health insurance, you may opt to both include your child on your plans for optimal coverage.
You’ll also want to determine who will be financially responsible for co-pays and medical care not covered by insurance. You’ll likely need to work out a reimbursement system so that if the parent not responsible for paying for a child’s health care writes a check to cover a co-pay at a doctor’s office, the other parent reimburses them promptly. Co-parenting apps can make tracking and reimbursement of these expenses easy and require a minimum of direct communication between parents.
Communication is key, however, when you are sharing custody of a child with a health issue — from asthma and food allergies to serious and chronic conditions and disabilities. It’s best if both of you can have the child’s medications and necessary medical equipment in your homes.
It’s also crucial that you keep each other informed of any changes in your child’s condition and prescriptions as well as upcoming medical appointments, test results, and diagnoses. This can be done via an online co-parenting app if the two of you are still struggling with your direct communication.
Regardless of the physical custody arrangement that parents work out, they often choose to have joint legal custody — at least when it comes to health care. This means that both parents are authorized to make decisions regarding their children’s care. This can come in handy if your child has a medical emergency. It may also be particularly helpful if you have a child who’s dealing with an ongoing medical issue.
If you have concerns about how you and your co-parent will work to care for your child’s medical needs across two households, talk with your family law attorney. They can help you work to craft child custody and support agreements that focus on your child’s needs and well-being.