If Your Child Has a Heart Disease (Heart Health)

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If Your Child Has a Heart Disease (Heart Health)

Having a child with a complicated heart condition poses a number of challenges and stresses, starting immediately after the child is born. For example, the mothers of children with heart disease often think that they did something during pregnancy to cause the problem. It is important to realize that you did not cause your child's illness.

After your child leaves the hospital, treatment and care can be costly. The cost of surgery and hospital stays is very high, and your health insurance may not pay for everything. You can get information from your doctor and hospital about how to apply for financial aid, if you need it.

It is very important that you keep your health insurance current. If you think about changing jobs, make sure that the health insurance at your new job will cover a child who has a heart condition. Some health insurance plans may not cover some medical conditions that you or someone in your family had before joining the new plan.

It is also very important for your child to have health insurance as he or she approaches adulthood. Review your current health insurance plan. Find out how coverage will work after your child turns 18. Some policies may allow you to keep your child on your plan if he or she remains in school or is disabled.

The care and treatment of a child with a complex congenital heart disease can be very stressful for families. This is especially true before and after surgery. In these situations, it's especially important to find emotional support. Talk to your doctor or hospital social worker about a parental support group in the area. In these groups, you can talk with other parents who are going through the same thing. A few sessions of counseling can also be helpful.

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