Recent Changes in Child Support/Medical Insurance Coverage - Part 2

The other change to the medical insurance obligation of parents who are party to a child support order involves the provision of private insurance. Before July of last year, if insurance was available to either parent through his or her employer, that parent was required to cover the child, regardless of cost.

Now, reasonable cost means the annual cost of the health insurance to a parent does not exceed five percent of the annual gross income of the parent. In applying the five percent to the cost, the cost is the difference between self-only and family coverage.

So, if a parent is offered health insurance through work at an unreasonable cost, that parent is NOT required to cover the child, but would instead be required to pay cash medical support to the government. (See part 1).