Ohio has many child support regulations but one that you should be aware of is the requirement to provide medical support to your child. Like regular child support, medical support is also required so that a child can have their medical needs to be covered. If insurance does not cover the medical needs of the child, then the obligor may have to pay a set amount toward the medical bills the child has accrued.
If either parent has health insurance, then they must provide coverage for the child. Interestingly, even if the other parent is responsible for providing coverage, you can opt to provide your own coverage for your child. If it’s your preference to be credited by the other parent for paying for that insurance, you’ll have to seek an administrative review, which is why those court-ordered to provide insurance are normally the people to do so.
What happens if the other parent won’t reimburse medical expenses?
If the court or child support order states that the other parent has to pay 50 percent of medical bills (or any other amount), then they are expected to do so. Failing to do so is not legal, so you can take the other parent back to court. If you choose to do so, bring your medical bill, the child support order and seek to have the court order the other parent to pay their portion of medical support.
Your child’s medical needs always come first. If you or your child’s other parent are having a hard time with medical expenses or determining who should pay, you may want to look over your court documents or seek clarification.
