I am so annoyed with my ex for changing the girls insurance to a HMO!!
We have always had a PPO health insurance policy, which basically means you can go to any specialist or doctor without approval of any insurance administrator. This was necessary because of the Mental Illness in the family. My oldest, who is 16, has been treated by her current psychiatrist since she was 6. Now my ex decided the PPO plan is too expensive and has gone to a HMO (health management organization).
This HMO has only 1 local center that treats psychiatric problems and there are only two doctors to choose from, we went through many before we found the excellent doctor we have gone to for 10 years. I guess having an insurance policy that will allow our girls to get good proper treatment was too expensive for their father so here we are dealing with a HMO.
I actually have to go to a Parent Orientation before they will set an appointment for my kids to be seen. I don’t know if we have enough medicine to get to that point but I have no choice. So I have to wait till January 11th to go to a horrible part of town and sit through an orientation I don’t need.. then come home call them to make an appointment with one of the two doctors available. I am wondering how many weeks we will have to wait just to get an appointment.
My girls are so nervous about having to start over with a new psychiatrist and it annoys the crap out of me that their father doesn’t care that they will not get the same type of care from this HMO as they did from their doctor of 10 years. It is difficult for kids to deal with this stuff and when you have an excellent long-term doctor its nerve-racking for them to have to start over.. but hey let’s make sure their dad can save a little money.
I know health insurance is expensive but he has excellent benefits and doesn’t pay as much as you may think. He also got a credit for the full cost of our health insurance when we were together when they calculated the child support. Not just the cost for the girls which he has to continue to carry but the full amount for the family. Technically I am paying for his new wife’s insurance because he got a monthly credit for it by the judge.
I am really scared about how this will go for the kids and I pray we get better treatment than I have heard you get from this particular HMO. Wish me luck!!
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Those ex’s I know how they are. I was lucky if mine carried any insurance when they were kids and when he did there was a big deductible that I had to pay at the visit.. I’m glad those days are over for me.
I know what you mean he has been threatening to quit his job for a couple years now and that’s how he has insurance on the kids through his employer and he pays very little in comparison to others.. but his kids are not his first priority and their health is not his first priority so he is going to make it hard for us and he thinks its hurting me but it’s hurting the kids.. I will get them through this time and I am thankful to have any insurance on them believe me it just blows my mind that he isn’t concerned about their health care or their mental health.. He doesn’t get it!!
I’m SO sorry to hear it. It is very hard to find a psychologist that just clicks right with your child. Good luck, I hope you find a good one with the limited options available.
Laurie
(hopping back at ya from A Goddess of LIterature)
Hi Laurie.. Thank you I hope we find one too.. It just seems bleak since there are only two to choose from lol.. Our doctor will continue to treat me so he will likely want to discuss the kids a bit too.. he said I should keep him posted.. we will see.. Im very glad we had so many years with the good doctor tho as I have learned a lot and I have researched our illness etc.. that will help me…. Thank you for commenting and visiting..