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Mark Abzug

Uninsured medical expenses are a special consideration

On Behalf of | Nov 17, 2016 | Child Support

Some people think that a non-custodial parent’s financial obligation to a child ends with child support payments. This isn’t always the case. In many child support cases, uninsured medical expenses are another financial obligation that the non-custodial parent can have.

Uninsured medical expenses are those that aren’t covered by medical insurance but are necessary for the child. In order to be considered an uninsured medical expense for this purpose, the cost must have been for something that is considered reasonable.

There are a number of medical expenses that are covered under the requirement for the non-custodial parent to pay based on the child support order. These include co-pays, prescription costs and deductibles. They can be for dental, vision or medical care.

In many cases, the child support order will cover exactly when each parent is responsible for uninsured medical bill expenses. In some cases, the parents will share the responsibility. In other cases, the responsibility will fall on one parent. In yet other cases, the responsibility falls on one parent up until certain criteria are met and then they shift to the other parent.

When the custodial parent has to cover the expenses out-of-pocket at the time of the appointment, the non-custodial parent would need to reimburse him or her for those expenses if the non-custodial parent is responsible for these costs. If the child support order doesn’t specify who pays these expenses, it might be necessary to head back to court to have the order modified if both parents can’t agree on who is to pay what uninsured medical costs.

Source: FindLaw, “Uninsured Medical Expenses and Child Support,” accessed Nov. 17, 2016

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