When people divorce, everything can get complicated — especially when the divorcing couple have children between them.
One of the biggest concerns parents may have is who will pay for the children’s health care expenses. This is where a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO) comes in.
What’s a QMCSO?
In essence, a QMCSO is a court order that details the requirements of a parent to either keep their children on their health insurance plan or pay for the cost of obtaining health insurance for the children through other means.
The parent subject to a QMCSO does not have to be the parent with primary custody of the children. In fact, a QMCSO is often useful in exactly these kinds of situations because it prevents the non-custodial parent from arbitrarily (or vindictively) dropping the kids from their insurance plan without warning.
What else is needed to cover health care issues?
In addition to the QMCSO, you may want to negotiate carefully over non-covered medical expenses, including co-pays, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychological counseling and other treatments. Divorced parents sometimes end up in serious conflicts about these additional costs — particularly if one party thinks they aren’t really “necessary.”
When your children are at stake, get help
When you’re worried about your children’s future and the health care they need, don’t take chances: Work with an experienced North Carolina attorney from the very start of your divorce. Our website has more information on other child custody topics that can help you learn more, so please continue exploring.