Medical expenses.

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  • (1) A child support order issued or modified in this state on or after July 1, 2018, shall require compliance with this section as of the effective date of the child support order unless the court makes specific findings as to good cause to deviate from the requirements of this section.
  • (2)
    • (a) The court shall order that health care coverage for the medical expenses of a minor child be provided by a parent.
    • (b) The court shall order that a parent provide insurance for the medical expenses of a minor child if insurance is available to that parent at a reasonable cost.
    • (c) The court shall, in accordance with Section 30-3-5, designate which health, hospital, or dental insurance plan is primary and which health, hospital, or dental insurance plan is secondary if at any time a dependent child is covered by both parents' health, hospital, or dental insurance plans.
  • (3) In determining which parent shall be ordered to maintain insurance for medical expenses, the court or administrative agency may consider the:
    • (a) reasonableness of the cost;
    • (b) availability of a group insurance policy;
    • (c) coverage of the policy; and
    • (d) preference of the custodial parent.
  • (4) The order shall require each parent to share equally the out-of-pocket costs of the premium actually paid by a parent for the child's portion of insurance unless the court finds good cause to order otherwise.
  • (5) The parent who provides the insurance coverage may receive credit against the base child support award or recover the other parent's share of the child's portion of the premium. If the parent does not have insurance but another member of the parent's household provides insurance coverage for the child, the parent may receive credit against the base child support award or recover the other parent's share of the child's portion of the premium.
  • (6) The child's portion of the premium is a per capita share of the premium actually paid. The premium expense for a child shall be calculated by dividing the premium amount by the number of persons covered under the policy and multiplying the result by the number of children in the instant case.
  • (7) The order shall, in accordance with Subsection 30-3-5(2)(a), include a cash medical support provision that requires each parent to equally share all reasonable and necessary uninsured and unreimbursed medical and dental expenses incurred for a dependent child, including deductibles and copayments unless the court finds good cause to order otherwise.
  • (8) The parent ordered to maintain insurance shall provide verification of coverage to the other parent, or to the Office of Recovery Services under Title IV of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq., upon initial enrollment of the dependent child, and after initial enrollment on or before January 2 of each calendar year. The parent shall notify the other parent, or the Office of Recovery Services under Title IV of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq., of any change of insurance carrier, premium, or benefits within 30 calendar days of the date the parent first knew or should have known of the change.
  • (9) A parent who incurs medical expenses shall provide written verification of the cost and payment of medical expenses to the other parent within 30 days of payment.
  • (10) In addition to any other sanctions provided by the court, a parent incurring medical expenses may be denied the right to receive credit for the expenses or to recover the other parent's share of the expenses if that parent fails to comply with Subsections (8) and (9).




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