Who Is Responsible For Paying a Child’s Health Insurance After a Divorce?
In Pennsylvania, medical support is well integrated into child support and spousal support, and the party responsible for paying medical support is responsible for paying for the child or spouse’s health insurance, as well as unreimbursed medical expenses. If you are currently going through a divorce and working through your child support arrangement, contact the Media divorce attorneys at our office to learn more about whether you might be responsible for paying for your child’s health insurance and other medical costs after your divorce and to receive a free consultation of your case.
What Is Included As “Medical Expense?”
Medical expense includes any necessary medical treatment, such as the following:
- Dental care and orthodontics procedures
- Prescription medication
- Eye care and ophthalmology procedures
- Insurance deductibles and co-pays
Notably, medical expenses do not include medical procedures such as cosmetic procedures, mental health care, and chiropractic care.
Who Is Responsible For Paying a Child’s Health Insurance After a Divorce?
Typically, the parent who the child is not living with, or the non-custodial parent, is responsible for paying a child’s health insurance after a divorce, as long as the cost for them to do so is reasonable. Under Pennsylvania law, it is considered reasonable for a parent to pay for a child’s health insurance if the health insurance does not cost more than 5% of the parent’s net income, and if the total monthly child support the parent is paying, including the cost of the health insurance, does not exceed 50% of the parent’s net monthly income.
Additionally, if it doesn’t make sense for the non-custodial parent to purchase health insurance for the child, the non-custodial parent may pay medical expenses to the custodial parent, and the custodial parent purchases the health insurance. For example, if the non-custodial parent is self-employed and the custodial parent receives health insurance coverage through his or her company, then it may make more sense for the non-custodial parent to pay the custodial parent a certain amount of money each month in contribution to the child’s medical expenses and have the custodial parent purchase the insurance.
The remainder of the expenses, including the health insurance premium and any unreimbursed costs, are typically split between the two parents proportionally to their income levels.
Contact a Media Divorce Attorney Today
If you are currently going through a divorce and need an advocate to help fight for your rights to receive spousal support or child support for your child, contact the divorce attorneys at Barbara Flum Stein & Associates today. Our divorce attorneys have represented countless individuals in divorce proceedings and successfully obtained the best outcome for their situation. We can help you understand your options during this difficult time and fight for your rights. Contact the Media divorce attorneys at Barbara Flum Stein & Associates today for a confidential and free review of your case. Call us at 610-565-6100 or visit us online to schedule your free consultation today.
Resource:
legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/PDF/23/23.PDF
