Medical bills are often not expected and can put a strain on finances.  Trying to juggle paying for medical bills and working out who pays for a child’s medical bill when you are trying to co-parent and raise your child in two different homes can be even more stressful.  In some circumstances, the parent who paid the medical bills in full can submit the bills to the Friend of the Court’s Office to seek reimbursement from the other parent.

For the FOC to help you seek reimbursement for a medical bill, you must have already tried to work with the other parent to be reimbursed for their share of the bill.  If a parent is not paying their share of uninsured health care expenses, you must notify them in writing of the issue by providing them with a “Request for Health-Care Expense Payment” and a copy of all bills and insurance statements.  You must do this within 28 days after you receive notice of payment or non-payment from the insurance carrier. 

After providing the other parent with notice, you must give them a reasonable opportunity to pay the expenses either directly to you or to the health care provider.

If you are not sure how much of the medical bill the other party is responsible for, you should refer to the most recent copy of your Uniform Child Support Order. Your UCSO should indicate which parent is to provide insurance for your child, how much each parent is to pay for ordinary medical expenses (i.e. co-payments, deductibles, uninsured costs, and other health care related costs) and how much of any uninsured health-care expenses are to be paid by either parent.  This will give you an idea of how much of the medical bill you are responsible for and how much you should be reimbursed by the other parent.

If the other parent fails to cooperate or respond to your requests after at least 28 days, you can submit a written complaint to the FOC.  You will need to submit the following documents to the FOC: (1) a copy of the Request for Health Care Expense Payment provided to the other party; (2) Complaint and Notice for Health Care Expense Payment; (3) a copy of the actual bill(s) you are seeking reimbursement for; and (4) proof that the bill(s) have been paid in full.  The “Request for Health Care Expense Payment” and “Complaint and Notice for Health Care Expense Payment” forms can be found on the FOC’s website at: casscourtsmi.org/foc/.

Once your written request for medical reimbursement is received by the FOC, it will be reviewed by the Medical Specialist.  If it is determined that you are owed money for medical expenses by the other party, the amount will be added as a new debt type to that party’s child support obligation in the Michigan Child Support Enforcement System.  The other party will be given a reasonable amount of time to pay the amount.  Both parties are given 21 days to object to the determination if they disagree with it.

If you are considering filing a medical reimbursement request with the FOC, there are a few things to keep in mind.  First, the Court will not enforce any uninsured health care expenses that were incurred more than one year prior to submission to the FOC Office.  Second, in any elective health care procedures (i.e. non-emergency situations), the parent obtaining health care for the child(ren) should notify the other parent in advance in writing regarding the required care.  Failure to provide this advance notice can impact your ability to seek medical reimbursement in the future.

The Cass County Friend of the Court has a memo titled “Information about Medical Support Enforcement” as well as a “Notice Regarding Braces/Orthodontia Treatment” on its website that contain helpful information regarding medical reimbursements if you have additional questions.  You can also call the Friend of the Court’s Office at (269) 445-4436 if you have questions about having the FOC help you obtain medical reimbursement from your child’s other parent.

If you have questions about the FOC that you think would be helpful to address in future columns, please send them to the FOC email address: foc@cassco.org.

Valerie Clark is the Medical & FCM Specialist with the Cass County Friend of the Court. For any questions contact foc@cassco.org