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Medical insurance, medical reimbursement issues

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What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? father VA; mother KY

I have two questions, both related to medical insurance:

My (almost) ex-husband and I have a separation agreement covering custodial issues. The agreement reads:

1. Dental Insurance
"[the father] shall provide and pay for health, dental and vision insurance for our child." Then goes on to list the policy number for this insurance as a standard private health insurance policy (Blue Cross Blue Shield).

However, this policy has only minimal dental coverage, like $25 towards a cleaning, something like that. Every dentist in town considers that she has no dental insurance. However, he believes that he has covered this obligation through the medical policy. She also will need braces (!!).

2. Unreimbursed Medical Expenses
the agreement goes on to say "...We shall pay, in proportion to our incomes, all reasonable and necessary unreimbursed medical, dental, or vision expenses ..." [and spells out a procedure, giving essentially an annual $250 deductible]

However, this issue became extremely contentious and he believes he can include his insurance costs within these costs. So last year I sent him bills of about $900 and he reimbursed me with $75 saying he didn't even feel he owed anything, but was just giving me that as a token. [His income is significantly higher than mine, but I had just asked for some split after the deductible.]

Do mandated costs to insure count as "unreimbursed [medical] expenses"?

thank you.
 


No. He has been court-ordered to provide the insurance. The unreimbursed medical expenses are the costs the insurance doesn't cover, such as co-pays and deductibles.

Keep in mind he must carry actual *insurance*. There are companies out there that offer "discount cards" and that type of thing which are not insurance.

Unfortunately good dental insurance is hard to come by. As a state employee, mine was terrible too.
 

haiku

Senior Member
1. normally when medical coverage is court ordered it is under the assumption that the insurance is a policy offered by employment or at REASONABLE cost. If dad is utilizing his employers insurance then he is following the court order. A vast majority of people in this country have never even had dental insurance in their lives, so any insurance is better than none. So yes he is correct that he has covered the dental insurance issue. you will both have to split the uninsured costs. (does your employment offer dental?)

2. He is incorrect, he should be getting an offset on the child support to reflect the cost of insuring the child, so NO he cannot deduct the monthly payments. He will not win that argument.
 

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