Addressing a child’s medical needs can be costly for a parent. Adults usually have to provide health insurance coverage for their children. They are also responsible for any uncovered medical expenses until their children become adults.
Married or cohabitating parents naturally share those expenses. Covering medical costs can become more of a challenge once parents no longer live together. If there is a child support order in place, which parent usually pays for the medical costs of the minor children in the family?
The order dictates financial responsibility
Every child support order is unique. The courts consider the details of the family’s circumstances when allocating various forms of financial responsibility between the parents.
Typically, a child support order includes language that requires one parent to carry health insurance for the children. The order may also include rules for addressing any uncovered expenses.
Parents typically need to report any uncovered medical expenses to one another and retain records of those costs. They can then allocate responsibility for those medical expenses based on the terms set in the child support order.
In cases involving elective procedures, the parent seeking the care for the child may be fully responsible. Other times, the courts may agree that the parents need to share those expenses, as they do any other costs related to their children.
Negotiating clear terms regarding medical costs and health insurance can limit opportunities for conflict when surprise expenses arise in the future. Parents may need to review and even modify their child support orders if the health needs of their children change.
