When you pay child support, you know that it’s supposed to cover a portion of your child’s expenses. Does this include medical expenses? It does, but matters can get a bit complicated when expenses exceed expectations and some other factors, like who has health insurance, may affect your child support arrangement. Fortunately, our Morris County, NJ child support attorneys are here to answer your questions and help you negotiate a fair way to cover your child’s medical expenses.
What Kinds of Medical Expenses Is Child Support Meant to Cover?
Child support is meant to cover predictable and recurring healthcare expenses of up to $250 per year, per child. This can mean paying for things like co-pays, health insurance premiums, and dental costs. However, as we all know too well, healthcare costs are not always predictable. Your child could end up incurring far more in medical expenses in a year.
What If Medical Expenses Exceed That Amount?
When medical expenses exceed this amount, it may be necessary to come to an agreement aside from the existing child support agreement. You and your spouse can find a way to split up the costs and ensure that your child can get the care that they need. This could be necessary if you have a big one-time expense, like your child needing braces or one of your children getting into an accident that requires a hospital stay and other expensive treatments.
If your child is going to have higher healthcare expenses than the typical child, you and your spouse may need to come to a different child support agreement that addresses this. A child with a disability or another medical issue could have medical expenses that are sure to exceed $250 each year. Leaving these costs to the custodial parent is unfair and could make it harder for them to provide for the other needs of your children. A child support order could require a non-custodial parent to pay more due to these increased costs.
Can Child Support Be Affected By Who Provides Health Insurance?
A child support order could also be affected by who provides the health insurance for the children. Healthcare plans can vary greatly when it comes to terms and expenses. You and your ex need to figure out whose plan is better for covering your children.
Whose health insurance plan covers the children can matter when child support is calculated. If the custodial parent covers the kids, they could receive more child support. If the non-custodial parent uses their healthcare plan to cover the children’s medical expenses, that can reduce how much they pay in support.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you have any questions about your obligations or your child support agreement, we may be able to help. Contact Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark to schedule a consultation with our team today.
