Are you getting a divorce in Pennsylvania? If your case will include child support or spousal support then it will also include medical support. But what is medical support? Medical support is health insurance and unreimbursed medical expenses for children or a spouse and it cannot be avoided because the federal government requires that all support orders include it.
What is counted as a medical expense?
- Dental
- Orthodontics
- Prescriptions
- Optical services
- Ophthalmology services
- Insurance deductibles
- Insurance co-pays
The following medical expenses are not included in a medical support order unless it was specifically directed by the judge in the order: cosmetic procedures, chiropractic treatments, psychiatric and psychological.
Who is Responsible for Health Insurance?
Initially, the non-custodial parent is responsible to provide health insurance for the children if it is available to the parent at a reasonable cost. But what is considered reasonable? Health insurance is considered reasonable if it costs less than 5% of the parent’s net monthly income and when it’s added to the monthly child support, does not exceed 50% of the parent’s net income every month.
When medical support is established, the non-custodial or custodial parent could be ordered to provide health insurance for the children depending on the circumstances of the case. For example, the custodial parent could have excellent, affordable health coverage through their job, whereas the non-custodial parent could be self-employed and insurance can be a lot more expensive for him or her.
How is the premium allocated? It’s allocated between the spouses in proportion to their respective incomes. Unreimbursed medical expenses are addressed as well and each party will be responsible for a percentage of the unreimbursed medical expenses in proportion to their incomes.
Related: Child Support License Suspensions in Pennsylvania
Have further questions? Contact Cairns Law Offices today to learn about our cheap, no-fault divorce services and to get your questions answered.
