Towson Child Support Lawyers | Extraordinary Medical Expenses.
Baltimore & Anne Arundel County Child Support Lawyer
As a Highly Regarded Baltimore County Child Support Attorney, whose practice areas are limited to family law, Amar S. Weisman Understands the Intersection of the Child-Related Health Insurance, Out-of Pocket Medical Expenditures and the Maryland Child Support Guidelines
Amar S. Weisman is a family law lawyer who has helped clients obtain the benefit of an accurate child support guidelines calculation in more than 475 child custody/child support matters in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Even though the child support guidelines are perceived as static, Mr. Weisman has stayed apprised of recent often misunderstood developments regarding how "the actual cost of providing health insurance for the minor child" impacts the basic child support obligation for both parents. edical Child Support" Including Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance =
The obligation of parents to add minor children to their health insurance policies, when the cost of insuring the children is deemed reasonable based on the evidence presented to the court, is defined by the child support statute in the Maryland Family Law Article.
The cost of providing health insurance for the minor child is defined as the difference between the cost of the self-only and family coverage for the purposes of inserting the proper number onto the guidelines worksheet (as opposed to deducing the cost of child support from income "above the line" used ot be the law prior to the 2007 legislative reformulation.The ever-increasing cost of health insurance in Maryland has predictably resulted in an ever-increasing impact on child support.
Due ot the high cost of insuring a child in the State of Maryland, an obligation that can continue until the minor child turns 19, graduates from high school or becomes emancipated, it is the the responsibility of the child support law firm to ensure the right documents are submitted the right way to the court at the right moment to impact the guidelines lawfully. The documents necessary to present this kind of evidence need to be obtained from the employer facilitating the acquisition of the health insurance and the good news is that Human Resource Departments are used to providing employees this kind of information for child support cases.
Get a Family Law Attorney Who Can Look Beyond Health Insurance
Most people who have received a statement of benefits from Aetna, Care First Blue Cross Blue Shield Maryland, Kaiser or any of those corporate conglomerates understands that there is not a single health insurance policy offered in this state that will cover everything and insurance companies, with all due respect to their hard working employees, cannot always be relied upon.
When the bureaucracy does not deliver, Baltimore County mothers and fathers pay out-of-pocket. Whether it is an asthma prescription from the Towson Health Mart, medicine for a cold disbursed at Charlesmeade on Stevenson Lane or any of the countless prescriptions prescribed and disbursed across this county, ultimately the parent or parents have to pay the pharmacy and it is unfortunate that not all child supprort orders issued by the Circuit Court for Baltimore County spell out what happens.
How Maryland Law Defines Differentiates Between Ordinary and Extraordinary Medical Expenditures
Extraordinary Medical Expenses are medical expenses that are not fully covered by the minor child's medical insurance that are reasonable and necessary. The definition of Extraordinary Medical Expenses is defined by Md. Family Law 12-204(i)(1). Common examples of potential extraordinary medical expenses include:
- Emergency costs that were incurred at a hospital Emergency Department or a private urgent care center like Patient First.
- In addition to the child support payment, payments for routine the pediatrician,child psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed therapist, specialist and physical therapist following an injury.
- The cost of treatment for a chronic condition, like asthma including the out-pf-pocket co-payment for the allergist and the inhalers that are necessary for the minor child to breathe.
- The cost of prescribed medication, like stimulant medication for Attention Deficit Disorder.
Medical Child Support Controversies That Commonly Arise in Maryland Court
In the sphere of law known as Medical Child Support, certain controversies recur, including how Court orders will deal with:
- Disagreements can happen about who should pay child support. Sometimes, both parents are asked to make sure the child has insurance. One parent may worry that the other parent will remove the child from their health insurance and leave them without coverage. This is a common concern, but most parents wouldn't intentionally harm their child's insurance out of respect for their well-being.
- Costs for out-of-network health care services; the reality is that many doctors in Baltimore County and the surrounding area, including providers at the largest hospitals like Greater Baltimore Medical Center ("GBMC"), Sheppard and Enoch Pratt, Johns Hopkins Health System, Sinai, Mercy Medical Center, St. Joseph's are out-of network.
- While changing the pediatrician is generally not a great idea, many people are successful arguing that new doctors retained by one or both legal custodians should be within the network when selecting an in-network doctor does not compromise the quality of care.
Extraordinary Medical Expenses and Harford County Divorce
All child support issues including extraordinary medical expenses must be addressed in Maryland Divorce proceedings.
Call 410-321-4994 To Meet With Divorce Lawyer Amar S. Weisman.
Please Call (410) 321-4994 during business hours to schedule a free consultation for the purpose of deciding whether you want to retain Amar S. Weisman. The firm does not accept pro bono clients at this time. To retain legal services and advice, you must pay a retainer, See Policy on Fees/Costs.
The law office is located in the heart of Towson near The Circuit Court For Baltimore County, Towson Town Center, Goucher College and Towson University, at 1018 Dulaney Valley Road (MD-146), Second Floor Towson, MD 21204.
We represent clients throughout the Baltimore County and Harford County including Aberdeen, Abingdon, Baldwin, Bel Air, Bowleys Quarters, Brooklandville, Carney, Catonsville, Cockeysville, Edgewood, Essex, Garrison, Glen Arm, Greenspring Valley, Homeland, Hunt Valley, Hydes, the Joppa Road Corridor, Kingsville, Long Green, Lutherville, Middle River, Nottingham, Owings Mills, Parkville, Pikesville, Perry Hall, Reisterstown, Riderwood, Rodgers Forge, Rosedale, Ruxton, Sparks, Sparrows Point, Stoneleigh, Timonium, Towson, West Towson, White Hall, White Marsh, and the York Road corridor. We have also represented a number of out-of-state clients. The law firm does not guarantee the results in any matter.
