Child guardianship entails a great deal of
responsibility and accountability. When an individual assumes the
responsibility of obtaining legal guardianship of a minor, there are many concerns, considerations, and worries that
the legal guardian may experience. If authorized by the court, the individual
who has petitioned for the rights to child guardianship of a minor will be
required to provide the child with all of the necessities that are necessary
for survival. This includes food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.
One of the primary
responsibilities of an individual who has undertaken the guardianship of a
minor is to provide that child with healthcare and access to doctors and
medical care if they need it. Medical care can be extremely expensive if
medical coverage is lacking, and a guardian should never withhold medical
treatment due to a lack of medical coverage.
When the responsibility of the guardianship of a minor is taken
from the child’s parents and given to another adult, the court may
decide that the parents of the child are still required to provide the child
with financial support. This may include the cost of medical care. The court
may order the parents of the child to keep the minor on their medical plan. The
parents of the child voluntarily keep the child on their medical plan, even
after child guardianship has been granted to another individual. If the parents
of the child refuse or are unable to keep the minor on their medical plan, then
the individual who has assumed child guardianship of the minor may attempt to
add the child to their own medical plan.
Many medical
plans will allow an individual who has undertaken the legal guardianship of a
minor to add the ward to their medical plan. However, some will not. If the
individual who has assumed child guardianship is unable to add the minor to
their medical plan, the child may be eligible to receive free health insurance
from the State.
The State
Children’s Health Insurance Program is an alliance between the Federal Government
and State governments and seeks to provide uninsured children with low cost
health insurance. The Children’s Health Insurance program provides coverage to
children who need dental care, medical equipment, eye care, hospitalization,
doctor visits, and prescription medication.
The program
is not a welfare program, and is therefore, open to working families who do not
earn enough money to pay for private insurance programs, yet make too much for
Medicaid coverage. The cost to enroll in the program varies from State to State.
In some instances, receiving coverage from this program may not require any
fee. Even when it does require a fee, the cost is very small. A program such as
this may be ideal if an individual who has assumed guardianship of a minor is
unable to include the child in their medical coverage and cannot afford to
change their insurance policy.
