Section 252E.1A. Establishing and modifying orders for medical support.
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This section shall apply to all initial or modified orders for support entered under chapter 234, 252A, 252C, 252F, 252H, 598, 600B, or any other applicable chapter.
1. An order or judgment that provides for temporary or permanent support for a child shall include a provision for medical support for the child as provided in this section.
2. The court shall order as medical support for the child a health benefit plan if available to either parent at the time the order is entered or modified. A plan is available if the plan is accessible and the cost of the plan is reasonable.
a. The cost of a health benefit plan is considered reasonable, and such amount shall be stated in the order, if one of the following applies:
(1) The premium cost for a child to the parent ordered to provide the plan does not exceed five percent of that parent’s gross income or the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 598.21B specifically provide an alternative income-based numeric standard for determining the reasonable cost of the premium, in which case the reasonable cost of the premium as determined by the standard specified by the child support guidelines shall apply.
(2) The premium cost for a child exceeds the amount specified in subparagraph (1) and that parent consents or does not object to entry of that order.
b. For purposes of this section, “gross income” has the same meaning as gross income for calculation of support under the guidelines established under section 598.21B.
c. For purposes of this section, “the premium cost for a child to the parent” ordered to provide the plan means the amount of the premium cost for family coverage to the parent which is in excess of the premium cost for single coverage, regardless of the number of individuals covered under the plan. However, this paragraph shall not be interpreted to reduce the amount of the health insurance premium deduction a parent may be entitled to when calculating the amount of a child support obligation under Iowa court rule 9.5 of the child support guidelines.
3. If a health benefit plan is not available at the time of the entry of the order, the court shall order a reasonable monetary amount in lieu of a health benefit plan, which amount shall be stated in the order. For purposes of this subsection, a reasonable amount means five percent of the gross income of the parent ordered to provide the monetary amount for medical support or, if the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 598.21B specifically provide an alternative income-based numeric standard for determining the reasonable amount, a reasonable amount means the amount as determined by the standard specified by the child support guidelines. This subsection shall not apply in any of the following circumstances:
a. If the parent’s monthly support obligation established pursuant to the child support guidelines prescribed by the supreme court pursuant to section 598.21B is the minimum obligation amount. If this paragraph applies, the court shall order the parent to provide a health benefit plan when a plan becomes available for which there is no premium cost for a child to the parent.
b. If subsection 7, paragraph “d”, “e”, or “f” applies.
4. If the court orders the custodial parent to provide a health benefit plan under subsection 2, the court may also order the noncustodial parent to provide a reasonable monetary amount in lieu of a health benefit plan. For purposes of this subsection, a reasonable monetary amount means an amount not to exceed the lesser of a reasonable amount as described in subsection 3, or the premium cost of coverage for the child to the custodial parent as described in subsection 2, paragraph “c”.
5. Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, the court may order provisions in the alternative to those provided in this section to address the health care needs of the child if the court determines that extreme circumstances so require and documents the court’s written findings in the order.
6. An order, decree, or judgment entered before July 1, 2009, that provides for the support of a child may be modified in accordance with this section.
7. If the child support recovery unit is providing services under chapter 252B and initiating an action to establish or modify support, all of the following shall also apply:
a. If a health benefit plan is available as described in subsection 2 to the noncustodial parent, the unit shall seek an order for the noncustodial parent to provide the plan.
b. If a health benefit plan is available as described in subsection 2 to the custodial parent and not to the noncustodial parent, the unit shall seek an order for the custodial parent to provide the plan.
c. If a health benefit plan is available as described in subsection 2 to each parent, and if there is an order for joint physical care, the unit shall seek an order for the parent currently ordered to provide a health benefit plan to provide the plan. If there is no current order for a health benefit plan for the child, the unit shall seek an order for the parent who is currently providing a health benefit plan to provide the plan.
d. If a health benefit plan is not available, and the noncustodial parent does not have income which may be subject to income withholding for collection of a reasonable monetary amount in lieu of a health benefit plan at the time of the entry of the order, the unit shall seek an order that the noncustodial parent provide a health benefit plan when a plan becomes available at reasonable cost, and the order shall specify the amount of reasonable cost as defined in subsection 2.
e. If a health benefit plan is not available, and the noncustodial parent is receiving assistance or is residing with any child receiving assistance as provided in section 252E.2A, subsection 1, paragraph “c”, subparagraph (3) or (4), the unit shall seek an order that the noncustodial parent shall provide a health benefit plan when a plan becomes available for which there is no premium cost for a child to the parent.
f. This section shall not apply to chapter 252H, subchapter IV.
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2008 Acts, ch 1019, §11 – 14, 18, 20
For transition provisions applicable to existing child support recovery unit rules, procedures, definitions, and requirements, and for nullification of 441 IAC rule 98.3, see