Medical support means providing appropriate health care coverage for the child, a cash contribution to reimburse for the cost of health care coverage or public coverage, or payment of the child’s uninsured and unreimbursed health care expenses. The court must determine whether a parent has appropriate health care coverage for the child. In making this determination, the court must consider the following factors:
- Is the coverage accessible?
- Is the coverage comprehensive?
- Is the coverage affordable?
- Does the child have any special medical needs?
Minn. Stat. § 518A.41, subds. 1 and 3. If a parent has the child enrolled in health care coverage, the court must order that parent to continue coverage unless the parents request a change and the court finds that other coverage is more appropriate. If neither parent has appropriate health care coverage, the court must order the parents to contribute to the actual health care costs of the child on a pro rata basis. If the child is receiving any form of medical assistance, the parent with whom the child does not reside must pay a monthly amount toward the cost of medical assistance. Minn. Stat. § 518A.41, subd. 4.
This material and the material in the following posts has been copied from Minnesota’s Child Support Laws, An Overview, drafted by the Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department’s legislative analyst, Lrnn Aves.
This post is part of a series of posts on Calculating Child Support in Minnesota.