March 16, 2005
Insurance/Costs
Question from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA:
My son is 22 years old and has a five year old daughter. He is divorced and the mother, who has insurance through work, will lose her job next month do to her company closing. She will be out of work. My son earns $8.00 per hour and has no insurance. The cost of COBRA is not affordable. What can they do for supplies and medical care? They realize a hospital will take her in an emergency, but then they will have a hospital bill to deal with in the future. My son and his ex-wife are doing a great job raising their daughter; both have been very responsible from the beginning. I hate to see them buried in bills of any kind. Is there anywhere for them to go for help?
Answer:
The parent who has physical custody of the child should seek Medicaid coverage after the health insurance coverage ends. Medicaid eligibility is determined by the income and assets of the family. If the family does not qualify for Medicaid, they should apply for coverage under Nevada’s Child Health Insurance program, Nevada Check-up.
DSH
[Editor’s comment: Should there be an emergency, the family can apply for aid to through the Children With Diabetes Foundation Supplies branch. This is for short-term aid only.
BH]
