Health Care Coverage and Cash Medical Support
Oregon law requires that all child support orders and modifications include provision of appropriate health insurance coverage by both parents. Reasonable is defined as insurance available on a group basis or otherwise at a monetary cost not to exceed 4% of monthly income, in most cases. If health insurance coverage is not part of your order, our office will modify the order to include coverage. If health insurance coverage is part of your order and available, but the person ordered to provide it is not providing coverage, the Division of Child Support will send a notice to the party and the party’s employer notifying them to enroll the child and to withhold the premium payments from the party’s wages, as long as the cost does not exceed the 4% cap. If appropriate health care coverage is not available to either party at a cost not to exceed 4% of their income, the child support order may be modified to require payment of Cash Medical Support equal to 4% of income as a portion of the monthly child support award. Cash Medical Support is designed to defray the cost of deductibles, co-pays and other uninsured medical expenses. Either party may have, or be ordered, to apply for public health care coverage if private health care coverage is not available. If so, the Cash Medical Support may be sent to the public agency providing coverage.
Our office is not able to assist in collection of uninsured and un-reimbursed medical expenses beyond what is covered by a Cash Medical Support Award. You may contact a private attorney for assistance with such situations.
