Anyone who has kids can tell you that they get sick, probably more often than you would like. Kids also have their share of broken bones and concussions, especially if they play sports. Some kids also may have chronic medical conditions that require routine treatment, such as diabetes or epilepsy. As a result, child support orders in the state of Washington contain provisions for health insurance for your child, as well as the payment of uninsured medical costs.
Healthcare for your child consists of medical insurance coverage and payment of uninsured medical expenses. If you have access to medical and dental insurance for your child, whether it is through an employer, the health care exchange, or a public program, the court may require you to obtain and/or maintain insurance coverage for your child. In some cases, both parents have access to medical insurance, and in other cases, only one parent has access to insurance for the child.
Cash medical support is an amount of money in addition to a parent’s child support obligation, which the residential parent can use to help with the costs of insurance coverage or for the payment of uninsured medical expenses for the child. Uninsured medical expenses can include the costs of co-payments, prescription drugs, and deductibles. If insurance coverage for your child is not available to you, the court may order the non-residential parent to pay a certain amount of cash medical support each month. Additionally, even if you have insurance coverage for your child, the court can order cash medical support for uninsured medical expenses. Each parent’s share of these costs is normally allocated according to the respective parents’ proportionate incomes.
At Pacific Northwest Family Law, we know how stressful, emotional, and complex divorce and family law proceedings can be. If you are facing a family law case involving health insurance issues, you need the advice and guidance of an attorney with a background in family law. Contact our office today or call our toll-free number 877-738-0777 to schedule a meeting with an experienced Washington family law attorney at Pacific Northwest Family Law and learn how we can help you with your divorce or family law case.
