Why would you not want to give your adopted child insurance?

Mom to Foster Children

No, $hit. Our caseworker held up the petition being sent out for two weeks because she "needed" a diagnosis. We didn't know why (didn't think to ask), but when we found out - we said we don't need this - we need for him to have a "normal" life and no more case workers...

aloha.girl59

We adopted from foster care in California five years ago, so I can only talk about that with any measure of accuracy.

I WANTED to put our foster son on our medical insurance, but was told by the county that we couldn't. We had to keep him on Medi-Cal because he was a foster child. Medi-Cal's doctors did not impress me and it took forever to get anything accomplished...such as having PE tubes placed in his ears due to frequent ear infections (13 in his first four years of life). I was thrilled when we were finally able to put our son on our medical insurance...after we finalized his adoption.

Crys L

I don't understand why they wouldn't either. My husband and I haven't discussed adoption or having kids in any great detail, but if we did adopt a child, he/she would go on the insurance and added as beneficiaries on our life-insurance as soon as adoption was finalized.

BPD Wife

That is absolutely bizarre to me as well. We fought to keep Medical Assistance for my son but as a SECONDARY insurance. We signed him up immediately for our insurance but I fought for the Medical Assistance only because he had a life-threatening disorder and would have qualified for the Medical Assistance had I given birth to him in our state anyway. I felt he deserved to have it if he qualified. But I NEVER would have considered NOT placing him on my own insurance.

Just a Mom

I will keep our Medicaid, thank you very much! What happens if I or my partner lose our jobs? Should our children lose their insurance? It is part of the adoption subsidy and I will keep it, just like I will keep the child care. Judge me as you will.

Sophie

Maybe those people are cheapskates who don't ever really want full responsibility for the children they adopt. They should be booted for not wanting to add them to their family health insurance.

My son was on my insurance the second I physically had custody of him. I called ahead of time to find out what I needed to do and took care of it all before I left the country to pick my son up.

r s

well, actually having you child on regular insurance may in some cases limit their access to services and therapy (it does here in Virginia)

the only way to get most help is through some government program that requries Medicaid... like say my son would not get his day care if he did not have medicaid and could not get on the list... (I still have to pay for the day care)

and it is all a mess... like the last time my son was in the psy hospital (for trying to kill a classmate) because he is on both it was many more steps to get him in, etc...

The skin Dr. my daughter goes to she could not see any if just on Medicaid in our state..

the kids get to see the eye doctor every year on private insurance as well

at one point though, there were not any dentist or mental health providers taking state Medicaid....

if you adopting from foster care and have a kid with any mental health or delays at all you need the Medicaid or you won't have access to OT, PT, Speech Therapy, or many other services long term

reneaumommy

I personally think this is a stupid question. I am a foster parent. If our foster child becomes available for adoption we will adopt her. In our state you can continue on medicare until they are 18 regardless of their health. We would absolutely keep her on medicare since she is eligible. Insurance is expensive (if my children were eligible I'd have them on it too!). I think it is important for a child to have insurance but who cares where it comes from. Our state also assists with college for adopted children...should i turn that down also and pay for it myself even though it is available? The less expenses we have to pay the more money we have to pay for other needs all of our children have.

I think foster children who are adopted should be treated equally don't get me wrong but who cares where their insurance comes from as long as they have it?

HappyMomAnna

The sad thing is that there are some people in every walk of life with wrong attitudes or motivations. If a child doesn't qualify for Medicaid there is a good chance they will not be classified special needs which means No Adoption Subsidy!

The whole reason laws were changed in order to make foster families first placement after a child's relatives is to HELP children avoid being hurt more by moving them around. The problem is that while fostering there is money--and ***Some*** seem to want to keep that money after the adoption.

I actually think that children being adopted by their one and only foster parents after being placed as nearly birth should only be classed as special needs if there IS something that is significant...

And in our situation we have our children on our Primary Insurance as well as Medicaid.Our insurance pays first and anything left over is covered by medicaid.

I always find it a little ODD when I meed foster adoptive parents who wouldn't just natural add the kids to the insurance policy..... Very sad.

mom1

I understand your initial reaction however there are probably missing details. I adopted from foster care and was given conflicting information, it's possible these couples were too. Private insurance for a family is a major expense and this may have been shocking to them.
Our county worker didn't want me to put him on my insurance and after analyzing the plans, Medicaid would cover his specialists and my insurance would not.
It's also possible that they believe their child has risk factors for conditions that may manifest in the future, i.e. prenatal alcohol exposure, attachment issues, learning disabilities, etc. You really can't know from just one class, cut folks some slack!
I'm really disappointed with the fishbowl mentality and over analyzing what every PAP or AP does or says. We really should be more supportive of each other. Assume the best in these folks, they aren't making money adopting (yes, even with a subsidy).
"Hello if you gave birth to them you would have to pay". Isn't it shoved down our throats here that parenting adoptive children is different and we didn't give birth to them?
I've already walked this path, your journey is just beginning and I wish you and blossoming family all the happiness life has to offer.

Dawn R

that makes no sense to me. just their shots alone get expensive, thank God if you get a healthy adoptive child. but who says they will stay healthy. what about broken arms, colds, flu, dentist, eye dr. it doesnt add up to not having insurance. if you are going to adopt they are YOUR children and deserve the same as a bio child. we are adopting but through foster care and they will still have medical, but we are putting them on our blue cross also for extra insurance. because they are OUR children and OUR responsibility like any other child bio or not. :)

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