First, if anyone knows who I would contact to get comprehensive medical insurance advice, I will take that information gladly.
Anyway, some background: I’m divorced with 2 children who live with their mother close to me in the same state (Maryland). I’m retired military, currently working full time.
So, I currently have Tricare for Life from the military retirement, which also covers my two children. I can also get full health coverage from my work if I so desired, but so far, I’ve just declined it. My ex, because she is remarried and has 3 additional children now and not a lot of income, qualifies for Medicaid in the state of Maryland which would cover my 2 children as well.
She really likes the Medicaid program, as it pays for everything and she pays nothing. But since I claim one of my children on my taxes, now he doesn’t qualify so he will go back under my insurance, that isn’t taken at the doctors they went to for Medicaid.
So my issue is, what is so wrong with Medicaid that I wouldn’t just give up the tax deduction so both my kids go to the same doctor along with their step siblings. Is there any downfall? Seems like a pretty good program, and it’s not like they go to some run down hospital or anything.
Any thoughts? does this make sense? Like I said at the beginning, I don’t know if a “professional insurance advisor” exists that is completely unbiased.
If the doctor they’re going to decides to withdraw from Medicaid, or they need any kind of specialist treatment, are you going to be able to find another doctor who is taking new Medicaid patients? In my state (Kansas), that’s a real problem; in Maryland, it may not be.
Also, check Maryland’s rules about dropping medical insurance for the sole purpose of qualifying for welfare (Medicaid). Here, that would be frowned upon, and depending on income level could result in a period of ineligibility for state assistance.
Finally, what does your divorce decree say about health insurance, and what does your state law say about parental obligation to provide? Could you be putting yourself in a position where the State of Maryland comes after you to reimburse them for monies the state is spending on your kids’ doctors? That may be a discussion you need to have with the attorney who handled your divorce. In Kansas, in some circumstances enrolling your kids in Medicaid would require your wife to sign over her child support payments to the state, which then gets the state child support enforcement office involved in determining how much you need to pay.