Question about joint medical decisions

[gatorfan1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? FL

My ex and I have joint decision making with regards to school, medical, etc. She took our daughter to her pediatrician a few weeks ago for a sore throat. During this visit she had high blood pressure. My ex told the doctor that our daughter is on a diet and exercises regulary. (She is over weight, usually has to fend for herself as far a food and does not excercise regulary. She is not even in a PE class at school and hasn't been in two years)

The pediatrician scheduled her for an abdominal ultrasound to test her kidneys. The results came back normal and my ex was told this. She has now scheduled an apt. with some sort of specialist in a few weeks.

The only way I know any of this is through my ex's myspace profile and then going directly to the doctors themselves for the results.

Now my ex is harassing me stating that she needs my wife's personal information (our daughter is covered under my wife's insurance) to get co-pay information. My wife verified with the insurance company that is not true, that my ex can get that sort of info. with just the insurance card, which she has.

My questions are...

1.) What if I don't agree with the specialist appointments, I don't even know what kind of tests that will be performed. i.e. This to me is not having joint decision making in her medical procedures.

2.) My ex is threatening to go to some sort of child welfare services, some sort of legal aid and an attorney if I do not provide her with my wife's personal information. Can she do that and can I get into trouble for not providing it?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[CJane]

If you've been in touch with the physicians, how can you not know what the procedures/tests are looking for? And why would you stand in the way of diagnosing any issues that your overweight child w/high blood pressure has?

The personal info thing is irrelevant. Tell your wife not to talk to your ex about anything and let it go. Easy peasy.

Also, what EXACTLY does your decree state re: medical decisions?

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? FL

My ex and I have joint decision making with regards to school, medical, etc. She took our daughter to her pediatrician a few weeks ago for a sore throat. During this visit she had high blood pressure. My ex told the doctor that our daughter is on a diet and exercises regulary. (She is over weight, usually has to fend for herself as far a food and does not excercise regulary. She is not even in a PE class at school and hasn't been in two years)

The pediatrician scheduled her for an abdominal ultrasound to test her kidneys. The results came back normal and my ex was told this. She has now scheduled an apt. with some sort of specialist in a few weeks.

The only way I know any of this is through my ex's myspace profile and then going directly to the doctors themselves for the results.

Now my ex is harassing me stating that she needs my wife's personal information (our daughter is covered under my wife's insurance) to get co-pay information. My wife verified with the insurance company that is not true, that my ex can get that sort of info. with just the insurance card, which she has.

My questions are...

1.) What if I don't agree with the specialist appointments, I don't even know what kind of tests that will be performed. i.e. This to me is not having joint decision making in her medical procedures.

2.) My ex is threatening to go to some sort of child welfare services, some sort of legal aid and an attorney if I do not provide her with my wife's personal information. Can she do that and can I get into trouble for not providing it?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Ask ex why the child needs to go to a specialist as you are not agreeing with said appointments based on what you have learned from the doctors. And don't give her your wife's personal information.

 

[gatorfan1]

If you've been in touch with the physicians, how can you not know what the procedures/tests are looking for? And why would you stand in the way of diagnosing any issues that your overweight child w/high blood pressure has?

The personal info thing is irrelevant. Tell your wife not to talk to your ex about anything and let it go. Easy peasy.

Also, what EXACTLY does your decree state re: medical decisions?

My wife is not talking to my ex. My ex is sending me text messages stating she needs my wife's information. My wife just verified with the insurance company.

I have been in touch with the lady in the billing department, not the actual physician. She told me that my daughter's results came back normal for her kidneys, not the actual physician. The only thing the billing lady could tell me was where the apt with the specialist was going to be, an hour and a half away.

I have no problems trying to get to the bottom of my daughter's high blood pressure. I do have a problem with my ex lying to the doctors so she can create medical bills to take me back to court for more child support. She has a history of doing this. I have done enough research on hypertension to know that the primary cause is poor diet and lack of excercise...both of which my daughter has both of. Second is something wrong with the kidneys, and that was cleared by the abdominal ultrasound.

Our decree states that matters relating to school, religion, and medical shall be decided jointly. To me, this isn't jointly. She has unilateraly made the decision to see a specialist and can't even keep me informed of what type of procedures are to be done.

 

[CJane]

Well, ya know what? It's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get the information from the doctors, not the billing department.

CALL THE PHYSICIAN.

This has nothing to do with your ex and her past behavior and everything to do with attempting to ensure your daughter's health.

How much visitation do you have? How much do you exercise? Have YOU looked into any medical issues? Is there anything alarming in the family history?

Yes, ex should be "deciding jointly"... but what are YOU doing to ensure that happens? If you say "NO" and she says "YES" - the courts are very likely going to err on the side of Yes, provided the procedure is non-invasive and recommended by a physician.

 

[gatorfan1]

Ask ex why the child needs to go to a specialist as you are not agreeing with said appointments based on what you have learned from the doctors. And don't give her your wife's personal information.

Thank you Ohiogal. I will try to get any information I can from her but she only chooses to communicate with me through text messages and most of those don't even make sense.

So if someone came to you, an attorney, with the complaint about not getting personal information, you would tell them too bad? I just don't want to get into any kind of trouble because of stuff my ex is spouting off. She has all information she needs on the card to obtain copay info. In fact, when she went to have the ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, she did not tell me what it was for or what is was, just what my half of the copay would be. So, I guess she can get that information without my wife's personal information. Jeez.

 

[gatorfan1]

Well, ya know what? It's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get the information from the doctors, not the billing department.

CALL THE PHYSICIAN.

This has nothing to do with your ex and her past behavior and everything to do with attempting to ensure your daughter's health.

How much visitation do you have? How much do you exercise? Have YOU looked into any medical issues? Is there anything alarming in the family history?

Yes, ex should be "deciding jointly"... but what are YOU doing to ensure that happens? If you say "NO" and she says "YES" - the courts are very likely going to err on the side of Yes, provided the procedure is non-invasive and recommended by a physician.

Wow. Ok then. I know it is MY responsibility. I do speak with the actual physicians, that is the only way I get any sort of information regarding our daughter's health. I only spoke with the billing lady because a.)it is a small office and I know her personally and b.)I just stopped in and the doctor was busy. I am scheduling a time to speak to the doctor personally.

I have considered family history and I have done research online. But this does also have to do with my ex's history as she keeps our daughter home from school or runs to the doctor over every sneeze, stomach ache or headache. She's missed an average of 20 days of school every year for the past few years.

Also, this apt. with the specialist was not recommended by the pediatrician. They told my ex that our daughter's kidney's were normal. My ex took it upon herself to schedule an apt. with the specialist.

But thanks for your advice.

 

[lealea1005]

Now my ex is harassing me stating that she needs my wife's personal information (our daughter is covered under my wife's insurance) to get co-pay information.

Just want to comment on the above statement only....

In order for the Doctor's staff to obtain verification of coverage, including co-pay/co-insurance information, they need the date of birth of the subsbriber of the policy (your current wife). Is this the personal information you're talking about? YOU can call the Physician's office and give them that info if you don't want your ex to have it.

 

[gatorfan1]

Just want to comment on the above statement only....

In order for the Doctor's staff to obtain verification of coverage, including co-pay/co-insurance information, they need the date of birth of the subsbriber of the policy (your current wife). Is this the personal information you're talking about? YOU can call the Physician's office and give them that info if you don't want your ex to have it.

My ex is not asking for the information to give to the specialist. She is asking for herself. She says she needs the information so she can call the insurance company and find out what the copay is. My wife verified with the insurance company that all she needs for the copay information (which is general information) is the subscriber number.

I don't have a problem getting with the specialist myself and giving them my wife's information. That way, I could atleast find out what the apt. entails. But my ex is just going on and on about how I am not following the court order by providing HER with my wife's information.

 

[ProSeDadinMD]

... In order for the Doctor's staff to obtain verification of coverage, including co-pay/co-insurance information, they need the date of birth of the subsbriber of the policy (your current wife). ...

Not true.

The child should have an individual insurance ID#, that is linked to the childs/card holders DOB, not the policyholders.

I do insurance benefit investigations on a daily basis.

 

[lealea1005]

Not true.

The child should have an individual insurance ID#, that is linked to the childs/card holders DOB, not the policyholders.

I do insurance benefit investigations on a daily basis.

OK...I need to correct myself...we need it to submit a claim, not necessarily for verification. Sorry 'bout the brain fart.