Making health care decisions for your children is one of the most difficult things you might have to do when you have a custody agreement. The way that the agreement is structured has an impact on what will happen with this. You have to understand the rights and responsibilities of both parents so that you can make sure that you are in compliance.
First, you have to know who needs to carry the child on their health insurance. Typically, one parent is required to do this. That policy would be the primary one. If the other parent carries the child, that will be the secondary policy. Whichever parent has the child with them should have insurance cards. It might be best to get duplicates of the cards, so each parent has one.
Second, know which parent is responsible for which out-of-pocket costs. It might be necessary for the parent with the child to pay the expenses right then. Once that is done, the other parent might have to make a reimbursement for their portion of the expenses. It is best if the parents have a clear plan about how this is going to happen before the situation occurs.
Third, make a plan for when the child can’t go to school. This might not be possible until an illness occurs. With each case, you and your ex might have to see who can get off of work to care for the child. This might change with each day that the child is ill.
There are some situations that might make it even more complicated. Be sure to tailor the parenting plan agreement to your child’s needs. For parents who have medically complex children, this agreement might be very lengthy and detailed.