Sessums Law Group provides legal services for people throughout the greater Tampa Bay area when they are facing a separation or divorce. We have the experience and knowledge to handle mediation, court hearings, custody arrangements, child support setup, and more. Perhaps one of the least understood areas of child support is how it relates to healthcare and insurance coverage. Certain things like basic needs (housing, food, clothing), and even educational costs are relatively easy to figure out based on the percentage of support each parent is required to pay toward the child. However, when it comes to healthcare and insurance, things get a little more complicated.
In a household where both parents are married to one another, insurance is usually simple. One, or both, parents have coverage and their children can be added onto one of their policies. When the parents divorce though, they have to determine which of their policies the child will go on, and then, calculate how much having the child listed on the policy costs them each month. That cost will then need to be divided based upon the percentage of child support set in the custody agreement. Additionally, costs that go above and beyond the regular healthcare coverage will have to be divided based on this percentage, to be sure that each parent is treated fairly and according to the court’s orders.
Sound confusing? Let’s put it in real-life terms. You and your spouse decide to dissolve your marriage, and you agree to share custody and child support 50/50. Your one child is already listed on your policy, so you both decide to leave that as is to avoid complicating paperwork and medical care, and agree that your spouse will pay you 50 percent of the premium cost for having your child on the policy each month. However, a few months into the plan, your child has a sudden emergency and requires a hospital visit. Your insurance requires a $500 deductible before the healthcare coverage begins to pay, so you have to pay the $500 up front. What is your former spouse’s responsibility in this situation? The most straightforward way to handle this would be to file the paperwork with the court requesting reimbursement based on the custody agreement. Your ex spouse would then be asked to pay you 50% of the $500 cost. This example is the most simplistic, basic setup, and real life is often more complicated, with varying percentages of custody agreed on for each household, different types of insurance policies, etc. However, this gives you a general idea of what to expect.
If this is just one of your many questions when you’re facing a divorce and thinking through a custody agreement, we are here to help. We make sure you get the very best results for your own individual situation, and that you and your children are taken care of following a separation. We don’t just stand beside you…WE STAND FOR YOU! Give us a call, and we’ll be ready to discuss your case, answer your questions, and support you through the process.