Friday, September 23, 2011

How can you get health insurance for child you have temporary custody for?

I am wondering if there is a way to get health insurance for my niece if she comes to live with me for a year? She's 11 years old. Her parents live in CA, she might come to live with us in FL for one year....I wouldn't be her Legal Guardian because we cannot go to court in CA, plus it's only for one year...|||Ask your niece's parents if their daughter is covered by their health insurance. If they have health insurance for your niece, then you'll need a copy of her insurance information anyway to present to the ER or doctor's office.





Whether they have insurance or not, ask them how they want you to handle the situation should your niece suddenly need unexpected medical care. Do they have backup phone no.'s they can give you in case of an emergency? Because the ER, first and foremost, is going to want to have a signed permission slip from one of her parents before they treat your niece at all (with the exception of a life-or-death emergency).|||Honey if she comes to live with you, I'd be damn sure I had the proper paperwork..ie parental consent, since you wouldn't be able to take her to the doctor for so much as a cold without that. And if it's only for a year, do her parents have insurance on her, then she would still be covered, otherwise you need to speak with an insurance agent. And I'd talk to a lawyer to make sure I've got the proper paperwork.|||If it's through the courts, then most likely she'd be insured under the state children's health insurance program (welfare health insurance) just like any OTHER foster child.





But if this is a private arrangement, the parents would have to keep her on their insurance, and give you medical power of attorney and guardianship (after all, without that, you can't even enroll her in school!).





You cannot add her to YOUR insurance. Her legal guardian could ALSO buy a private health insurance policy for her - but if you are not her legal guardian, you can't even buy her a policy.

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