Section 3119.302. Private health insurance - cash medical support

(A) When the court, with respect to a court child support order, or the child support enforcement agency, with respect to an administrative child support order, determines the person or persons responsible for the health care of the children subject to the order pursuant to section 3119.30 of the Revised Code, all of the following apply:

(1) The court or agency shall consider any private health insurance in which the obligor, obligee, or children, are enrolled at the time the court or agency issues the order.

(2) If the contributing cost of private family health insurance to either parent exceeds five per cent of that parent's annual gross income, that parent shall not be ordered to provide private health insurance for the child except as follows:

(a) When both parents agree that one, or both, of the parents obtain or maintain the private health insurance that exceeds five per cent of the annual gross income of the parent obtaining or maintaining the private health insurance;

(b) When either parent requests to obtain or maintain the private health insurance that exceeds five per cent of that parent's annual gross income;

(c) When the court determines that it is in the best interest of the children for a parent to obtain and maintain private health insurance that exceeds five per cent of that parent's annual gross income and the cost will not impose an undue financial burden on either parent. If the court makes such a determination, the court must include the facts and circumstances of the determination in the child support order.

(3) If private health insurance is available at a reasonable cost to either parent through a group policy, contract, or plan, and the court determines that it is not in the best interest of the children to utilize the available private health insurance, the court shall state the facts and circumstances of the determination in the child support order. The court determination under this division shall not limit any obligation to provide cash medical support pursuant to section 3119.30 of the Revised Code.

(4) Notwithstanding division (A)(4) of section 3119.29 of the Revised Code, the court or agency may allow private health insurance to be farther than thirty miles if residents in part or all of the immediate geographic area customarily travel farther distances or if primary care services are accessible only by public transportation. The court or agency shall include this accessibility determination in the child support order.

(B) The director of job and family services shall create and annually update a table to be used to determine the amount of cash medical support to be paid pursuant to division (C) of section 3119.30 of the Revised Code. The table shall incorporate potential combined gross incomes of the parties, in a manner determined by the director, and the United States department of agriculture estimated annual health care expenditure per child as determined in accordance with federal law and regulation.

Effective Date: 2007 HB119 06-30-2007