The Fort Worth three-year-old is now out of the hospital after shooting himself in the hand over the weekend. Police were called late Saturday night when the toddler shot himself after discovering his father’s pistol in the man’s bedroom.  The bullet wound cost the boy part of a finger.  Lawrence Williams has been telling reporters he went to the store, leaving the boy in the care of an adult. Detectives have questioned Williams who claims he just recently gained custody of the boy and his five-year-old sister. Now, the children are in CPS foster care until this gets sorted out.

By, Danny Deraney

First Time Feeling Like Dad….

I am not really sure if anybody remembers their first Father’s Day. I do because it was only 2 years ago. I had the privilege to spend the day in my hometown with my wife and child along with my parents. It was nothing spectacular, as I assume how many Father’s Day Holidays rarely are. But one thing I can remember is how long it took me to really feel like a Dad.

Once your child is born, it is pretty surreal. Of course you know in your mind that you are responsible for this child. You know immediately you will protect them with your life. But to me, like so many of us men, their Dad is THE Dad. I am just, me.

My Dad to me is my hero. Why? Well my Dad’s father was never really around. Ok, he wasn’t around period. However, my father vowed that whenever he had children he would make sure to be the best parent he could and have lots of fun along the way. I think because of that, I approach life and of course being a parent that same way.

The first time I really felt like a Dad (as always) has to do with food. I say as always, because most of my background is of Lebanese ancestry. We revolve around food.

So one day, I was thinking of what to make my daughter Lily for lunch. She is extremely picky and I did not want to give her what I know she will always eat. So then I thought of the meals my parents made. The first thing I thought of was my Father’s infamous Super Duper Pizzas!

What are Super Duper Pizzas? Very simple. Pita Bread, Tomato Sauce and Mozerella Cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, 350 degrees.

Growing up, these were practically staples on the weekend. So I figured why not give it a shot. So when Lily started to eat one piece, two pieces, three, etc. I really started to feel that giddiness and warmth like when you are really in love. Ok maybe drunk too, but the point is, I really felt like my father. The feeling since then has never stopped.

First Time Sounding Like Dad….

Another first that I can relate to was when I began to sound like my father at Lily’s bedtime. This was always a great time for my brother and I. Any parent knows that after reading Goodnight Moon for the 236th time, you tend to wish the book never existed. Because of that, I remember my father taking your average well-known story and make the farthest left turn you could imagine. This would make my brother and I hysterical.

For example:

There were Three Bears, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and look it’s their long distance cousin Samuel.

So one day, here I was, reading to my little girl the story classic story of Runaway Bunny, also the 236th time. Then out of nowhere, I started talking in a silly voice and completely changed the story. A few minutes went by and I realized I was doing what my Father did to us. So when I mention to my daughter that I love her to the moon and back, I come off sounding like Gomer Pyle and say, I love you to the moon and back, then once again because I forgot Mommy and back. Without fail, my daughter laughs on cue. At least somebody thinks I am funny.

First Baseball Game with Dad….

Till this day, not sure who won, but I can remember going to my first baseball game, Dodgers and Giants. We grew up in LA and except for my mother; nobody in our family was a Dodger fan. It was the Yankees or the Mets. But without fail, my Dad took us anywhere from 5-10 games a year. Usually it was against our beloved teams.

My Dad, raised on the east coast, happened to be in New York during the 1977 World Series. The first game I recall was Game 6, when Reggie Jackson hit three home runs. I was mesmerized by the crowd and the scoreboard flashing, REGG-IE, REGG-IE. Then I remember my mother telling me that my Dad was there. I thought that meant at the game, but in reality, it was just in NY for business. When my Dad came home, he brought home Yankee Jackets and World Series Champion T-shirts for my brother and I. From that point on, I was a Yankee fan.

So you can imagine my excitement when last year, I took Lily to her first Yankee game at Yankee Stadium. There we were, eating ice cream, hot dogs and pizza and she sat still there for 8 innings! Heaven! More than once was I thinking of that day my father was in NY and all of the games we have gone to together and continue to.

It is hard to think of all the firsts with your family. Thankfully, with modern recording devices, you can do it more conveniently. Lily can now share her first blueberry, pizza and of course her first Yankee game with her child. The fact is that each and every day is really a first.

Every day is a first because of what you get to experience with your child. To watch it all go by and not have fun along the way is a waste. Once you have a child, you realize like I did that it is the little things that connect us with one another. I am so happy, it’s the connections like that, as small as they are, are bigger than anything we could have imagined. The fact that I can bring the values he gave to me, to my family, is worth everything.

Happy Fathers Day Everybody!

Danny Deraney became a first time father two years ago and is looking forward to sharing many more firsts with his daughter. Deraney is a Publicist and PR Executive for Deraney Public Relations. Please follow on twitter @dannyderaney or visit http://www.dannyderaney.com.

By, Bill Petro

The celebration of Father’s Day goes back all the way to the beginning, actually to the Garden of Eden when Abel gave his father Adam a razor while his brother Cain gave his father a snake-skin tie. This was the beginning of Cain’s downward slide.

Four thousand years ago in Babylon the boy Elmesu carved a greeting to his father on a clay tablet, wishing him health and long life. However, as it was difficult to attach stamps to clay cards at the time, the holiday proved impractical and did not stick.

The holiday was first canonized in the West by Pope Hallmark in 1582 in the Papal Bull entitled Quando Ipso Facto Volare FTD Que Sera Sera which roughly translated means “When you care enough to send the very best.” This was confirmed years later in the United States when one of the founding matriarchs, Ma Bell, ordained both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in an attempt to help bolster the fledgling nation’s telecommunication coffers. It is well known that Mother’s Day generally posts the highest volume of long-distance telephone calls of any single day of the year. It is not as well known that Father’s Day posts the highest volume of long-distance collect calls.

In modern times, particularly in America, the celebration goes back over a hundred years. There was a one-time celebration in Fairmont, West Virginia in 1908 by Grace Clayton, but it was not officially registered. In 1910 a Presbyterian church in Spokane, Washington aided by the local YMCA and ministerial alliance helped promote the previous year’s celebration organized in that town by Sonora Dodd. She had been moved by the 1909 establishment of Mother’s Day to fashion a holiday to honor fathers. Though a bill was submitted to Congress for the first time in 1913 for a national proclamation — and the holiday got support from Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge — it was not until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. But it took President Richard Nixon to sign it into law 6 years later in 1972. Although the first symbol was the wearing of a red rose for a living father and a white rose for a deceased father, this has been replaced by gifts of highly sophisticated miniature mobile electronics or large noise producing tools.

Father’s Day has not enjoyed the same popularity as Mother’s Day in America. Perhaps this is because of recent generations’ conflicted feelings about fathers. In our lifetime, the current generation of fathers grew up in what was called the Baby Boomer generation — those born between 1946 following the end of WWII and 1964 the dawn of the post-modern period in the United States. Many Boomers came of age during the period of time when the “generation gap” was most pronounced. This was back in the day when you didn’t “trust anyone over 30″ and the older generation just didn’t “get it.” Young men respected but did not trust their fathers. Their fathers’ generation, the “Builders” or what has been called the Greatest Generation, had lived through the Depression and had fought in WWII, but didn’t get the Beatles. The Builders had done many things well, but what they were unsuccessful at was succession. They did not know how to pass on to their sons the torch of leadership. In another time, this would have meant training their sons to be first a page, then a squire, and ultimately a knight. In the ’60s and ’70s it meant successfully passing on to their sons the assurance that they had what it took to be a man. Think “Rebel Without a Cause.” Without having received the “blessing” of their fathers, young men looked for their significance in other things, in other places.

Some came to terms with it by paying tribute to their fathers. Many of Stephen Spielberg’s movies feature absent fathers but his movie “Hook” celebrates recapturing the value of being a father, even for a boy who never wanted to grow up. Spielberg’s friend Tom Hanks honored his own father Amos who served in WWII. Hanks appeared in the popular Spielberg movie “Saving Private Ryan” and went on to produce with Spielberg the award winning HBO mini-series based on the Stephen Ambrose book “Band of Brothers,” in part as a tribute to his father. Hanks subsequently narrated part of Ken Burns’ “The War” and co-produced with Spielberg “The Pacific.”

I too did a tribute to my father, who liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp at the end of WWII. It was featured on HBO’s website when the Band of Brothers mini-series first premiered, as an introduction to the episode “Why We Fight”. Ironically, my father crossed paths twice with the Easy Company of the 101st Airborne from Band of Brothers, first at the Battle of the Bulge, and later at the liberation of Dachau and its satellite camps. His story is told in full at http://billpetro.com/johnpetro.

So this generation of Boomer young men have grown up now, and they’re the fathers of the current generation: Gen X, Gen Y, the Millenials. What legacy will they pass on to their children?

Everyone has had a father, but not everyone can be a father, especially if you are a woman. But there are few challenges in the world that are more rewarding than being a father. It is a special joy and a great honor.

Bill Petro, the son of a WWII veteran and the father of a daughter and son, writes widely on history, technology, popular culture, and international travel. He has been sending articles on the History of the Holidays across the Internet since 1984. You can find him at http://billpetro.com/.

HOUSTON (AP) – A 3-year-old Houston-area girl has died after being hit as her father backed up his truck in the family’s driveway.

Authorities say the father was pulling out of the driveway in the family home in northwest Harris County on Friday when he ran over his daughter.

Officials say the girl apparently got out of the house and was wandering outside when the incident happened.

The father and a neighbor rushed the girl to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators say the girl’s death appears to be an accident.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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LAKE DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Inside the Sumlin home in Lake Dallas the family is hitting Facebook and Twitter hard.

It’s the last day to help Austin Sumlin, 18, win a $50,000 scholarship to go to college.

Today is also his birthday and he’s hoping to celebrate big.

“Every share and tweet on Facebook and Twitter is a vote,” says Austin Sumlin. “Gotten more than 40-thousand shares on Facebook and 2500 tweets.”

The student made a video about how he met his dad.

“When I was five, I was the only kid in the daycare who didn’t have somebody to make a Father’s Day card for,” explains Austin.

His biological father bailed, so he started badgering his mom to find a new dad.

“I urged her to go to the daddy store and get a new one,” says Austin.

His pleas for a new dad never wavered.

“He would tell me what a beautiful bride I would was going to be,” says mom Heather Sumlin.

“The last time he told me I would be a beautiful bride was the day he talked about, ‘You are going to a wedding and you are going to walk down the aisle and you are going to meet this man and he is going to be my dad and he is going to love you and he is going to love me’ and I remember what it was like for him.”

Heather got on the popular dating website Match.com and she and Austin met their match.

They married Rich in 2003.

One of the most moving moments was captured in a picture in the video showing the couple walking down the aisle after their “I do’s” with Rich holding little Austin.

“It was important for Austin to know that the wasn’t losing any bit of me,” says Heather “… but he was gaining a dad.”

Since the couple met on Match.com, Austin was eligible to enter the scholarship contest.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH AUSTIN’S MATCHMADE STORY

On this birthday Austin has one last plea.

“Share it like a 100 times at least… every hour,” says Austin “… get friends to do it parents and grandparents and cat if possible.”

Austin is enrolled at a local community college right now.

NOTE: You must share the link matchmade.com/Austin on Facebook or Twitter to vote for Austin in the contest.  Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on September 1.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) – Texas fathers took to the state capitol today to support a bill for equal parenting, and a Frisco dad was front and center.

Rustin Wright is the father to a ten-year-old son, who says he’s spent his son’s entire life fighting in court for equal custody.

“I’ve spent everything I’ve ever made, maxed out 50 thousand dollars’ worth of credit cards, spent my entire retirement and savings and I literally make a payment to an attorney every month,” he said.

Wright and other fathers are supporting a bill that would give a judge the option for 50-50 custody, after a divorce. They say their kids are better served when they can spend equal amounts of time with mom and dad.

‘Last month, I only got to see my son for 48 hours,” said Wright. “I miss out on being his father and teaching him the things that a father teaches his son.”

The proposal by Representative Gilbert Pena would allow the court to give fit parents equal custody, 50-50 access, unless it was determined that it was not in the best interest of the child. But those against the idea say it will only encourage more litigation.

“At the beginning, after the divorce decree is entered and in modifications,” said Lynn Kamin from the Family Law Foundation.

Kamin says both parents can agree that everything is equal. But when they don’t, a judge must step in and decide what’s in the best interest of the child, not the parent.

“What this proposal will do is throw these children into a situation where when their life is totally in chaos that they are going to be shuffled form one house to the other,” she said.

Texas is not the first state to look into this topic or to try and pass a similar law. The proposal is currently being debated in committee.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Many men gain a new sense of responsibility and purpose when they become fathers. A new study suggests they also gain 3 to 5 pounds.

The research wasn’t designed to prove fatherhood causes weight gain and raises more questions than it answers. But one outside expert, while noting its limitations, said the research is provocative and should spark further study.

Doctors pay attention to the weight gain of mothers — both before and after pregnancy. But the waistline of dads? That’s not on most doctors’ radar, said Tom Wadden, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders.

The study’s lead author — Dr. Craig Garfield of Northwestern University — said he could only speculate about what’s behind the extra pounds.

“For men who become fathers, their whole life changes,” Garfield said. They may sleep less, exercise less, and experience more stress — all of which can lead to weight gain, he said.

It doesn’t help that the food selection at home may gradually change to include more things like “making chocolate chip cookies with the kids,” said Garfield. A dad himself, Garfield said his weakness is finishing his kids’ leftover cheese pizza.

For their work, the researchers looked at results from another study, which tracked the health of adolescents over two decades. The researchers focused on teen boys and young men, comparing weight changes in the 3,400 who became dads and the 6,800 who didn’t.

There was a difference.

After becoming a first-time dad, a typical 6-foot-tall man who lives with his child will gain an average of about 4½ pounds, the study suggested. A same-sized man who does not live with his child can expect to gain nearly 3½ pounds.

But a 6-foot man who does not have children typically loses about 1½ pounds over the same time period, researchers found — after making statistical adjustments to iron out the potential influences of age, marriage, and other factors.

The study checked weights of the men at four times over the two decades. The researchers were not able to determine at what point in time dads put on the weight. Most of it could have gone on during the pregnancy, Wadden noted.

The study found men who lived with their children were a little heavier to begin with, on average, and ended up heavier than the absent fathers and the men who didn’t have kids.

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. men are overweight or obese, according to government statistics.

The study was published online Tuesday by the American Journal of Men’s Health.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (AP) — Clothes all over the house, milk left out of the fridge, loud gatherings with friends. These are some of a Maine dad’s complaints about his college daughter being home for Christmas.

Dan Howard, of Cape Elizabeth, has posted a humorous two-minute video on Facebook in which he describes scenes that are likely familiar to any parent with a child home from college. The video has more than 900,000 views.

Howard shares tales of carrying his daughter’s heavy luggage through the airport and being unable to sleep as she bakes cookies and cupcakes at 3 a.m. with her friends. He ends by jokingly wondering if he can get Uber to take her back to school early.

He doesn’t say his daughter’s name or where she goes to college in the video.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – A five-year-old boy is recovering after he found a gun at his Fort Worth home and shot himself.

In what police are calling a very close call, the child found the gun on a nightstand next to his parent’s bed. They had just bought the new handgun. As their son played with the loaded gun, it went off.

[graphiq id=”5cXjKiXF5kh” title=”Gun Deaths by State” width=”600″ height=”499″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/5cXjKiXF5kh” link=”http://political-issues.insidegov.com” link_text=”InsideGov | Graphiq” ]

The bullet went through the child’s hand. MedStar took the him to Cook Children’s where doctors described his injury as only minor.

However, the incident is anything but minor to police.

Investigators from the Crimes Against Children Unit are looking into the incident and the parent’s may face charges.

KELLER (CBSDFW.COM) – Back-to-school is especially important for children just starting Kindergarten.

After all it’s the beginning of a journey toward adulthood.

But going to the ‘big kid school’ can cause some back to school jitters… not that a group of Pre-K students from Kids R Kids Learning Academy we spoke to are worried.

CBS11 reporter Gilma Avalos caught up with Aaliyah, Parker, Neel, Evelyn and Brooklynn. They chatted about their expectations, snacks, homework and future.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine spent his first Father’s Day as a dad of two.

Supermodel Behati Prinsloo shared a photo on Instagram of the 39-year-old holding their second daughter, Gio Grace, who was born in February. Their first daughter, Dusty Rose, is nearly 2 years old.

Prinsloo wrote the “girls are so lucky to call you dad and I’m so lucky to have you as a husband.”

The 29-year-old also saluted her father.

The couple married in July 2014.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – A loss prevention officer prevented a man and woman from kidnapping a child at a Walmart in Fort Worth.

Police said a man and woman tried to snatch the child from a cart. But the employee saw them and stepped in, saving the child.

The child was not injured.

The pair took off in a red SUV (possibly a Saturn).

Police are seeking information about the identities or whereabouts of the would-be kidnappers.

HUBBARD, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Some Texas grown ups — and little ones — are winning at the definition of a blended family and now the world has had a peek inside after a very special daddy-daughter dance pic went viral.

Dylan Lenox and David Lewis are both the dads of 5-year-old Willow. The two men aren’t a couple, though they think all definitions of family are beautiful, their connection to Willow is of course her mom, Sarah.

Dylan is Sarah’s fiancé and Willow’s soon-to-be stepdad and David is her biological dad.

(credit: Willie + Rose Photography)

Dylan has been a part of Willow’s life for years and had the “honor” of taking her to her last two daddy-daughter dances. David couldn’t attend because he was overseas when one took place and in Washington, D.C. the other time.

In addition to co-parenting, the two men have developed what Dylan calls “the best friendship and bond that anybody could ask for” and this year he was thinking things should be different for their little girl.

“I knew deep down in my heart that she [WIllow] needed that memory, specifically, with him too,” Dylan said. “I knew David needed that and she need that.”

David lives in New Mexico and was already planning to come to Texas, but it wouldn’t have been in time to attend the dance. But he switched up his schedule, made it possible and arrived on the day of the dance.

(credit: Willie + Rose Photography)

Before heading off Sarah, who’s a photographer, took some pictures of Willow and her two dads. While David and the little girl went off to party, Dylan and Sarah went on out for an evening that was soon interrupted.

“My phone kept blowing up during our date, during dinner,” Dylan said. “It [Facebook post of pics] started with 25 or 30 shares and grew from there.”

Dylan’s original post has nearly 250,000 likes and a video CBS News shared about the pic has been viewed more than 1,250,000 times!

Dylan said he made the Facebook post to inspire “split families that don’t have hope” and of course for their little girl. The most important part of his post was a message to her saying,”Willow Grace you are loved by so many people in this world and your Daddies love you!”

Willow isn’t the only member of this blended family, Dylan has a son from a previous relationship and he and Sarah have a 2-year-old child together. And they’re making it all work in the small Texas town of Hubbard – which Dylan says has one stop light and a Sonic — about 30 miles northeast of Waco.

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – It’s a test that helps pregnant mothers avoid surprises. But some said the real shock arrived in the mail.

Noninvasive prenatal testing or NIPT, is an emerging industry that’s increasingly popular among new parents. The simple blood draw screens for genetic disorders and reveals the baby’s gender during the first trimester.

But multiple parents said they were blindsided by the cost.

(credit: Getty Images)

Whitni Hinojosa wanted to know her son was healthy. So in her first trimester, she opted for a NIPT test from Natera. A nurse claimed the test would cost less than $200, according to Hinojosa.

“I was happy that nothing was wrong, happy to know it was a boy,” Hinojosa said.

Then, the bills came. Hinojosa received a bill from Natera for $611. The original amount Natera billed to her insurance company exceeded $4,000.

For months, Hinojosa badgered the company until someone finally agreed to reduce the bill to a third of the cost.

“Why charge that? If you know you’re not going to get it?” Hinojosa said.

Natera is one of several companies that offer non-invasive prenatal testing.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Natera says it provides customers a “personalized cost estimate,” and patients can choose to either use their insurance benefit or pay $249 in cash.

Hinojosa said she never knew about that condition. She wonders what would have happened if she didn’t fight the company so aggressively.

“It just doesn’t seem right,” Hinojosa said.

Pramee Mehta went through a similar process.

She said she wrote a $50 check for a test through the company, Recombine.

She thought the deal was done until she opened a bill for $5,000 several months later.

“I hadn’t planned for a $5,000 bill for something I wasn’t expecting to do,” Mehta said.

Mehta said her insurance company refused to cover the cost because the test was elective. Instead the insurance company opted to file a claim with Recombine. The strategy worked.

In the end, Metha owed nothing, which made her question why she received the bill at all.

“I think that’s their way of recovering whatever they can,” Mehta said.

Medical ethicist Tom Mayo said some insurance companies may not cover the testing because the NIPT industry is still relatively new.

That’s why patients should check their coverage before taking the test.

But Mayo said testing companies also have a responsibility.

“Should they be more transparent? They should be totally upfront,” said Tom Mayo, an associate professor at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University.

Hinojosa got her peace of mind. But she said getting there caused undue stress and confusion.

“I think if they had a set price and told you that price upfront, they wouldn’t get as many customers,” Hinojosa said.

Patients should check if their insurance company covers NIPT testing. The Ones for Justice surveyed three major insurance companies.

UnitedHealthcare

“We cover prenatal testing, including blood and ultrasound tests, based on current medical research. We also cover DNA-based non-invasive prenatal testing as a screening tool for certain infant syndromes; when a woman is over age 35 at the time of delivery; specific issues with prior pregnancies or based on certain fetal ultrasound findings.”

Humana

For its commercial members, Humana covers noninvasive prenatal screening checks for chromosomal abnormalities under the guidance of the member’s physician. Their specific coverage policy can be found here online.

For Medicare members, Humana follows the Medicare National Coverage Policy. That coverage policy can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website.

AETNA

“Aetna covers NIPT tests for screening pregnancies at high risk for Down syndrome. This test is more specific to identifying the potential for Down syndrome, as well as two other very rare conditions. For pregnant women at average risk, Aetna covers screening with serum analytes combined with fetal ultrasound. This screening can help identify a wider range of issues than the NIPT tests, such as obstetric complications, open fetal defects, or other fetal structural abnormalities. Measurement of serum analytes with ultrasound is the most widely used approach for screening and is the approach the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine recommends for first-line or primary screening of average risk women.”

Different testing companies also adhere to different billing practices. See their responses below.

Recombine
The company Mehta used, Recombine, stopped offering NIPT testing in 2018 after a merger with another company. A representative did not return a request for comment by deadline.

Progenity

“We are committed to operating in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as payor contractual requirements and industry best practices. Our billing practices follow the accepted approach for laboratory service providers. Tests are ordered by qualified healthcare providers who are authorized by state law to order laboratory testing. When commercial health insurance information is provided on behalf of the patient, we submit a claim for reimbursement with the health plan. When we have a contract with that health insurance plan, we submit claims and the health plan reimburses based on the contracted rate. The majority of our business in Texas is covered by health plans with which we have contracts. In cases where we do not have a contract with the health plan, we bill for the laboratory services provided, and the health plan reimburses based on an amount that they deem acceptable. As with all healthcare services, patients are often responsible for co-pays and deductibles set by the health plan. We bill the patient for the Patient Responsibility amount per our contractual requirements when we have a contract with the health plan. When we do not have a contract with the health plan, we bill per the explanation of benefits provided by the health plan. For patients covered by government healthcare programs, we bill patients in accordance with the applicable program’s requirements. Our billing department makes good faith efforts to collect patient responsibility amounts in accordance with federal, state, and contractual requirements. Because of our commitment to improving access to medically-necessary genetic testing, we offer qualifying patients the Peace of Mind program, a need-based financial assistance program based on federal poverty guidelines. We also offer flexible payment options. Our Peace of Mind program is consistent with industry practices.”

Natera

“Natera is committed to patient access to high-quality, and affordable genetic testing. As such, Natera is an in-network provider with most health plans and has negotiated discounted rates with those plans. Natera offers a discounted cash price, to keep the test affordable, when a patient’s insurance plan does not cover its non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT). We give patients a personalized cost estimate based on their plan’s coverage policy, deductible, and coinsurance. Patients can choose whether to use their insurance benefit or pay a discounted cash price of $249. Natera also offers compassionate care program discounts for families experiencing financial hardship.

All patients receive an EOB from their insurer which includes the list price. The EOB is not a bill and does not reflect the contractual discounts we have negotiated with insurers or the application of any discounts for which the patient may be eligible. We provide patients with a personalized cost estimate which includes the insurance plan’s coverage policy, and the patient’s deductible and coinsurance. Patients can choose whether to use their insurance benefit or pay a discounted cash rate of $249. Patients often confuse an “Explanation of benefits” (EOB) with a bill. All patients receive an EOB statement which includes our list price. The EOB is not a bill and does not reflect the contractual discounts we have negotiated with insurers or the application of any discounts for which the patient may be eligible. Natera’s contracted rate for NIPT with insurance companies is typically $700-$800, and most patients owe approximately $70–160, after their deductible is met. The list price does not reflect the discount we’ve negotiated with the insurance company. All patients receive an estimate of what they will owe after the insurance benefit is determined, and they have the option of using their insurance benefit or paying cash.”

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — The father of Atatiana Jefferson — the 28-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a Fort Worth police officer last month — has died, sources told CBS 11.

Atatiana Jefferson

Sources told CBS 11’s Erin Jones Saturday evening that Marquis Jefferson, 58, died just short of a month after his daughter’s death. Family spokesman Bruce Carter said he “died of a broken heart” around 6:30 p.m. at Charlton Methodist Hospital in Dallas.

#Breaking Sources say the father of #AtatianaJefferson has passed. Just a month ago I sat down him. He was heartbroken over his daughter’s death, saying she had much going for her and something good has to come out of this. https://t.co/IMWfXGq9Uh @CBSDFW

— Erin Jones (@erinjonesnews) November 10, 2019

Jefferson was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when former officer Aaron Dean shot and killed her through a window of the Allen Avenue home.

Aaron Dean (Tarrant County Jail)

Jones sat down with Jefferson’s father in October, where he shared the heartbreak of losing his only daughter.

“Her mother called me yesterday morning. She say ‘Tay was shot,’” he recalled. “I mean it’s senseless. My daughter was 28. My daughter was 28-years-old. Had her whole life in front of her.”

The cause of his death is not known at this time.

Dean resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department before he could be fired, and was later arrested and charged with murder.

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) –  The family of a woman killed by a Fort Worth police officer, wants a criminal investigation now, into the death of her father.

Marquis Jefferson was buried in Dallas Monday, next to his daughter, Atatiana Jefferson and four weeks after her death. Family members said they have never seen someone deteriorate as fast as he did during those four weeks.

Marquis Jefferson (credit: CBS 11 News)

“He didn’t have a condition that made his heart give out. Other than the fact, ‘I keep fighting for my daughter. Now I’m suppressed, I can’t even read a tribute that says how I’m going to continue her legacy?’ ” said family spokesperson Bruce Carter.

Furthermore, Atatiana’s family told CBS 11 News that the legal battle after Atatiana death, was too much for her father. They are blaming greed, and in their words, “lawless individuals” for Marquis Jefferson’s death.

That is directed at attorneys who were involved with the shooting last month. Their ire is also directed at the judge who made rulings about her funeral — who could attend and what could be said. Court orders limited him on how he could then conduct his daughters funeral, including limits on what even he was allowed to say.

Atatiana Jefferson

Marquis fought to gain control over his daughter’s funeral, after former police officer Aaron Dean allegedly shot and killed her. That dispute turned into a legal battle, between Marquis and attorneys working with Atatiana’s mother’s side of the family.

The Jefferson family said they believe the actions of attorneys involved were criminal, and that in their mind… Marquis Jefferson’s death amounts to another murder.

Dean resigned before the department could fire him, and was later arrested and charged with murder.

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – The mother of Atatiana Jefferson, died Thursday in the same Fort Worth home where her daughter was shot and killed by police last year.

Paramedics were called to the family home in the hillside neighborhood where they found Yolanda Carr.

CBS 11 News spoke to Carr after her daughter’s shooting death in October 2019.

Through sobs and from a hospital bed, she shared the agony of her daughter’s loss.

“At least we know that justice was served, and he will be accountable for murder,” she said. “He murdered my baby in my home. She wasn’t doing anything. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

A cause of death is not known, but Carr was battling a serious illness. Atatiana, 28, was caring for her mother before the night she was killed.

Yolanda Carr and her daughter Atatiana Jefferson, who also was her caregiver. (credit: Jefferson family)

Dallas attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family, released the following statement:

“It is with heavy hearts our office reports the passing of Yolanda Carr, the mother of Atatiana Jefferson. Atatiana was serving as a caregiver to her mother, Ms. Carr, at the time of her murder by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean. The family is devastated by Ms. Carr’s untimely death and is requesting for space to process and mourn. Police brutality impacts entire families, communities and generations. There is no doubt Ms. Carr’s recovery was complicated by the tragedy of her daughter’s death and the difficulty associated with the ongoing fight for justice. We will continue the fight in her honor. Please join us as we offer our prayers and condolences to this family during an incredibly difficult time.”

Dean, who joined the Fort Worth Police Department in April 2018, resigned two days after the shooting and just hours before his arrest and subsequent murder charge.

According to Dean’s original arrest affidavit, Jefferson was inside a bedroom playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew moments before the shooting. He told police his aunt heard noises outside and that she grabbed her handgun.

Body-cam video from Dean’s perspective showed the former officer walking around the home, shining a flashlight into a window and shouting “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” and less than a second later firing a shot. Investigators confirmed that Dead did not identify himself as an officer at any point.

Aaron Dean mugshot (Credit: Tarrant County Jail)

Jefferson’s adopted father, Marquis died in November just weeks after her death. He was buried in Dallas next to his daughter.

Family members said they have never seen someone deteriorate as fast as he did during those four weeks following her death.

“He didn’t have a condition that made his heart give out. Other than the fact, ‘I keep fighting for my daughter. Now I’m suppressed, I can’t even read a tribute that says how I’m going to continue her legacy?’” family spokesperson Bruce Carter said.

Beyond the demonstrations and national spotlight brought on by the shooting, both parents were also caught up in a tense legal battle.

It delayed Atatiana’s funeral, and raised questions about hundreds of thousands of dollars donated in her name.

Carr appeared satisfied though last month, that Dean was officially indicted for her daughter’s death.

WATCH: Fort Worth Police Officer Shoots, Kills Woman Inside Her Own Home

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – The Tarrant County medical examiner determined Yolanda Carr, the mother of Atatiana Jefferson, died from congestive heart failure.

Her death comes months after her daughter was fatally shot by a Fort Worth police officer at the same house in October.

CBS 11 News spoke to Carr after her daughter’s shooting death in October 2019.

Through sobs and from a hospital bed, she shared the agony of her daughter’s loss.

“At least we know that justice was served, and he will be accountable for murder,” she said. “He murdered my baby in my home. She wasn’t doing anything. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

Yolanda Carr and her daughter Atatiana Jefferson, who also was her caregiver. (credit: Jefferson family)

Jefferson’s adopted father, Marquis died in November just weeks after her death. He was buried in Dallas next to his daughter.

Beyond the demonstrations and national spotlight brought on by the shooting, both parents were also caught up in a tense legal battle.

It delayed Atatiana’s funeral, and raised questions about hundreds of thousands of dollars donated in her name.

Carr appeared satisfied though last month, that Dean was officially indicted for her daughter’s death.

ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Following the death of #GirlDad Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, local girl dads and their princesses shined on the floor at the annual Daddy Daughter Dance in Arlington Saturday night.

The dance — put on by Arlington’s parks and recreation department — is the 19th the city has done.

But for Timothy Harrell and his 6-year-old daughter Ashlee, it was their first.

Since transitioning to civilian life from the military, Harrell said he’s now focused on making memories like this one.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Just you and your daughter.”

Thomas Khoel and his daughters have made a tradition out of the event, and they look forward to doing it every single time.

“We’ve been doing this, this is our 10th or 11th year,” Khoel said.

His daughter Naomi even agrees that the event is a good time.

“It’s like a fun time to be with my dad and dance with him,” she said.

This year’s theme was the land of Oz. Organizers said about 700 daddy-daughter couples signed up for this year’s events which are being held over two days.

In total, about 1,400 dads and daughters participated in the events.