9 CAR § 4-301. Establishing medical support — Overview

(a) Every court order must address the medical support needs of the children. (b) If a new case is opened for enforcement with an existing court order that does not address medical support, the: (1) Child support will be enforced as ordered; and (2) Medical support will be addressed the next time the order is modified. (c)(1) The custodial party can choose to be the person responsible for providing medical support by: (A) Indicating his or her choice on the application for services; and (B) Providing proof of coverage. (2) Any form of private or public healthcare coverage qualifies as an acceptable form of medical support. (d)(1) If the custodial party does not indicate he or she wishes to be the person responsible for providing medical coverage, the Office of Child Support Enforcement will: (A) Interview both parties; and (B) Review employer records to determine the availability of healthcare coverage. (2) The office will present information to the court so that a determination can be made as to which party is in the best position to provide coverage. (e)(1) Each order will address: (A) Who should provide coverage and whether the other party should contribute to the cost of the premium; or (B) That neither party has healthcare coverage available that is reasonable in cost and accessible to the child. (2) “Reasonable cost”, as it pertains to insurance premiums and/or cash medical support, and “accessible coverage” are defined in the Arkansas Supreme Court Guidelines for Setting Child Support Obligations (Administrative Order #10). (f) If employer-sponsored health care is available and the custodial party or noncustodial parent who is ordered to provide medical support has not provided proof of alternative coverage, a National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) will be sent to the appropriate employer. (g) Once medical support is established, the office will provide information to the custodial party and the Medicaid agency, if the children are receiving Medicaid benefits, regarding the healthcare insurance policy including, but not limited to, the: (1) Name, address, and phone number of the healthcare insurance organization; (2) Benefits covered under the plan; (3) Policy number; (4) Claim forms; (5) Membership card; and (6) Any other information needed to file a claim.