support

[Colleen27]

Crazy thought...how are you on medicaid but can take two trips to Disney in one year?

Does it really matter? You don't have to be desperately poor to qualify for medicaid, and two Disney trips for a FL resident (heck, two Disney trips for my family of 5 from Michigan) doesn't add up to nearly enough to indicate an ability to purchase private health insurance.

 

[ilovejack02]

Crazy thought...how are you on medicaid but can take two trips to Disney in one year?

That didn't take long to start stirring the pot !!

People on medicaid don't get to travel ? Not even in their own state, when they get Florida resident discounts ? OP might sell plasma , baby sit , save her pennies , shop garage sales for clothes , clip coupons etc.. all so her child can have a little fun.

 

[wvjules]

Does it really matter? You don't have to be desperately poor to qualify for medicaid, and two Disney trips for a FL resident (heck, two Disney trips for my family of 5 from Michigan) doesn't add up to nearly enough to indicate an ability to purchase private health insurance.

You're right. It doens't matter that the OP can't afford health insurance for her family while taking Disney vacations. It was just a crazy thought I had.

 

[mickeyboat]

Crazy thought...how are you on medicaid but can take two trips to Disney in one year?

I guess if I were clipping coupons and shopping garage sales, I would be spending that savings on purchasing health insurance for my family. Travel is a luxury that I would not feel I could afford if I were on medicaid.

 

[ilovejack02]

I guess if I were clipping coupons and shopping garage sales, I would be spending that savings on purchasing health insurance for my family. Travel is a luxury that I would not feel I could afford if I were on medicaid.

Op's parents might help pay, their trips might only be 3 days, we don't have a clue . Why be rude , why try to make someone feel bad, why completely stray from topic just to make yourself feel a superior .. oh wait , I know why this is the Dis.

 

[crashbb]

You're right. It doens't matter that the OP can't afford health insurance for her family while taking Disney vacations. It was just a crazy thought I had.

It goes along with the crazy thought I had about willfully neglecting to provide information about her daughter's father's contact information. There is no way that his sister is in close enough contact with him to get all this information about the letter, but does not know his address or phone number. And, clearly, the OP is in close enough contact with the sister to get the information about the letter. I know that here, if a mother purposefully does not provide information about the father's location (so that child support can be paid, rather than relying on public money), the mother is culpable. May be different in the OP's state.

 

[Colleen27]

I guess if I were clipping coupons and shopping garage sales, I would be spending that savings on purchasing health insurance for my family. Travel is a luxury that I would not feel I could afford if I were on medicaid.

My husband closed his business in part because of health insurance costs - when you can't get it through an employer, you're looking at 10-15K or more for a family plan. No amount of coupon clipping or garage sale shopping is going to save enough to purchase insurance for a family. Not even canceling the Disney trip adds up to that kind of savings, particularly not for a FL resident who has access to discounts on just about everything Disney.

The OP already posted that they're a two income family. I don't know how the FL guidelines look, but here the cutoff is at 200% of the poverty level, or about $47K for a family of 4. There are plenty of families living on less than that who can afford budget vacations but can't afford to put out 25% or more of their household income for private insurance.

 

[Colleen27]

It goes along with the crazy thought I had about willfully neglecting to provide information about her daughter's father's contact information. There is no way that his sister is in close enough contact with him to get all this information about the letter, but does not know his address or phone number. And, clearly, the OP is in close enough contact with the sister to get the information about the letter. I know that here, if a mother purposefully does not provide information about the father's location (so that child support can be paid, rather than relying on public money), the mother is culpable. May be different in the OP's state.

I think the minute any public assistance program is mentioned people fall all over themselves to assume the worst.

Personally, as someone with a deadbeat ex, I wouldn't ask my ex's sister for his contact information. I wouldn't put her in that position, because she has every reason to be more loyal to her brother than to me, and I wouldn't expect her to tell me anything. But if he'd been complaining about a court date, as my ex likes to do every time they schedule a show-cause hearing, that could easily come up in casual conversation. Besides, in this situation it sounds like the OP would prefer child support be paid - the state doesn't seek reimbursement for medicaid-only cases, so if her ex was paying support it would directly benefit her situation.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Personally, as someone with a deadbeat ex, I wouldn't ask my ex's sister for his contact information. I wouldn't put her in that position, because she has every reason to be more loyal to her brother than to me, and I wouldn't expect her to tell me anything. .

No. The child's welfare trumps someone feeling uncomfortable about being "put in a position". The SIL 's loyalty should be with her niece or nephew over her brother at all times. If they are covering up for a deadbeat relative at the expense of a minor child they deserve to be made to feel uncomfortable.

 

[allison443]

I guess if I were clipping coupons and shopping garage sales, I would be spending that savings on purchasing health insurance for my family. Travel is a luxury that I would not feel I could afford if I were on medicaid.

Agreed.
How about using the trip money to get some kind of education or job training and get a better job, with benefits, to support the kids?

 

[allison443]

I think the minute any public assistance program is mentioned people fall all over themselves to assume the worst.

Personally, as someone with a deadbeat ex, I wouldn't ask my ex's sister for his contact information. I wouldn't put her in that position, because she has every reason to be more loyal to her brother than to me, and I wouldn't expect her to tell me anything. But if he'd been complaining about a court date, as my ex likes to do every time they schedule a show-cause hearing, that could easily come up in casual conversation. Besides, in this situation it sounds like the OP would prefer child support be paid - the state doesn't seek reimbursement for medicaid-only cases, so if her ex was paying support it would directly benefit her situation.

Actually I got the impression OP wants nothing to do with her ex including child support because she doesn't want him involved with her dd. It sounds like she hasn't made any effort to find an address, although she somehow knows he lives 10 minutes away.

 

[jodifla]

My husband closed his business in part because of health insurance costs - when you can't get it through an employer, you're looking at 10-15K or more for a family plan. No amount of coupon clipping or garage sale shopping is going to save enough to purchase insurance for a family. Not even canceling the Disney trip adds up to that kind of savings, particularly not for a FL resident who has access to discounts on just about everything Disney.

The OP already posted that they're a two income family. I don't know how the FL guidelines look, but here the cutoff is at 200% of the poverty level, or about $47K for a family of 4. There are plenty of families living on less than that who can afford budget vacations but can't afford to put out 25% or more of their household income for private insurance.

Great post!!!! I never get the incredibly mean-spirited comments about how can you possibly you to Disney if you are getting any government assistance.

A Florida resident can go to Disney very cheaply....it's a day trip for a lot of families. And Disney almost always has a Florida resident deal, like $99 for a 3 or 4 day ticket, once a year.

And yet somehow, in the world of conservative magical thinking, a $500 vacation is the same as spending $10,000 a year on health care.

and PSSST: My dad told me a secret once. Turns out they went on vacations DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION!!!!!! Yes, he and his family, who were poor farmers, drove from Minnesota to Chicago to see the '33 World's Fair!

 

[wdwmom3]

Agreed.
How about using the trip money to get some kind of education or job training and get a better job, with benefits, to support the kids?

Wow got to love how people judge others. I guess you are perfect. Thanks for sharing you superior advice.

 

[Janepod]

I guess if I were clipping coupons and shopping garage sales, I would be spending that savings on purchasing health insurance for my family. Travel is a luxury that I would not feel I could afford if I were on medicaid.

It's probably a "gift trip."

 

[mickeyboat]

Actually I got the impression OP wants nothing to do with her ex including child support because she doesn't want him involved with her dd. It sounds like she hasn't made any effort to find an address, although she somehow knows he lives 10 minutes away.

This is the impression I got as well. And the feeling that she does not care to pursue support from her child's father since she is already covered by the state.

 

[Jex]

Why should the state support the child though if the father is capable? If she can get his info she should.

 

[JoiseyMom]

It goes along with the crazy thought I had about willfully neglecting to provide information about her daughter's father's contact information. There is no way that his sister is in close enough contact with him to get all this information about the letter, but does not know his address or phone number. And, clearly, the OP is in close enough contact with the sister to get the information about the letter. I know that here, if a mother purposefully does not provide information about the father's location (so that child support can be paid, rather than relying on public money), the mother is culpable. May be different in the OP's state.

Most Child Support Enforcement agencies in the US suck! I gave them my ex's info a billion times. SSN, address, phone number etc.. Do you know what I got? Zip, zilch nada. They NEVER went after him, even when he was in the same state. Years after I left the state, a friend from my building called me to tell me she found a letter addressed to me from the state with his info, but they still never collected a dime from him. :

I am sure pretty sure OP gave them the info she had.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Crazy thought...how are you on medicaid but can take two trips to Disney in one year?

This is also what I was wondering. If you qualify for government assistance I wouldn't think a person would be able to go to Disney. And obviously it is not a day trip because her ticker shows she is going to be staying at POR.

 

[Go19GoLauren]

Where I live, if the State is supporting a child (in this case by covering their health insurance) then the State will go after any deadbeat parents to collect some/all of the money they have spent.

The people that bring a child into this world should be the ones to support it. Sometimes that is impossible and rather than the child suffer for the parent's problems we have programs like welfare, WIC and Medicaid. If the only reason the child needs those programs is that a parent is unwilling (Dad) or spends the money on something other than caring for the child (travel) then the State has every right to try and get their money back.

 

[Go19GoLauren]

Where I live, if the State is supporting a child (in this case by covering their health insurance) then the State will go after any deadbeat parents to collect some/all of the money they have spent.

The people that bring a child into this world should be the ones to support it. Sometimes that is impossible and rather than the child suffer for the parent's problems we have programs like welfare, WIC and Medicaid. If the only reason the child needs those programs is that a parent is unwilling (Dad) or spends the money on something other than caring for the child (travel) then the State has every right to try and get their money back.

Forgot to mention, if the deadbeat parent doesn't pay up, they put them in jail. It's the State that wants the money they have already paid out (Medicaid). If you don't want your ex harrassed then you would have to decline those funds.