It is important for parents to know what is included in child support and what is not intended to be included in child support. It is also important for parents to be aware that they may be able to receive payment for medical expenses not covered by insurance.
How to parents obtain medical expenses?
Parents should request payment of medical expenses not covered by insurance according to their child support order. If the child support order does not address extraordinary medical expenses, the parent seeking payment of medical expenses should make a request for them in writing. The parent request payment of medical expenses should include in their written request:
- The date of request made to the other parent;
- The name of the child that received the medical services for which the other parent is seeking payment;
- The name of the doctor or medical care provider that rendered the medical services the parent is seeking payment for;
- The type of medical services received by the child;
- The date that the medical services were received;
- The amount being requested that the other parent owes for their portion of the medical expenses;
- The date by which the payment should be received by the requesting parent.
When a child support order does not address medical expenses
When the child support order does not address medical expenses, the parent requesting the payment for medical services should provide the other parent 30 days from the date of the written notice for payment. The parent requesting payment should keep a copy of the request and may wish to provide copies of invoices, medical bills and receipts to the other parent.
It is generally a good idea for a child support order to address medical expenses which is helpful to keep in mind when negotiating a child support order. It is also useful to be familiar with how parents can request payments for extraordinary medical expenses when it is not addressed in the child support order.
