Parents who aren’t involved in a romantic relationship any longer may have a parenting plan in place to govern matters related to the children. One of the critical points that must be addressed in these cases is how medical care and healthcare decisions are handled.
In some cases, one parent makes these decisions alone. In other cases, both parents have to make these decisions together. There are a few considerations that must be factored in when choices about medical care must be made for the children.
Type of care needed
In most cases, there’s one plan for routine care and a different one for emergency care. The parent who has decision-making powers for medical care will be the one to make routine medical care decisions for the child. If both parents share that power, they will have to agree on routine care.
Emergency care usually falls on the parent who’s physically with the child at the time the decision has to be made. If there’s time, they may wait for the other parent, but that might not be possible in all cases. If there’s an emergency situation, the parent who’s with the child will likely be required to notify the other parent.
Cost of care
Typically, one parent is required to have insurance on the child. The expenses that aren’t covered by insurance are considered uninsured medical costs. Who pays this, including a division formula if both parents are required to cover the expenses together, should be covered in the court order.
Medical care in a child custody case can be rather complex. It may behoove parents to work with someone who can help them ensure they have the terms spelled out clearly so there’s no ambiguity about how decisions should be made.
