When estranged or divorced Rhode Island couples go through child custody disputes, the courts will normally order the non-custodial parents to pay child support to the custodial parents. In addition to child support, the non-custodial parents may also be ordered to provide medical coverage for their children. If the children are recipients of Rite Care, the state may go after the non-custodial parents to secure private health care coverage.
What is medical support in Rhode Island?
Both parents are expected to support their children financially as they grow. A part of that expectation includes providing medical coverage for the children. If a non-custodial parent has private health insurance available through their job, the court might order them to cover the children through the employer-provided health insurance policy. If a child is enrolled in Rite Care, the state may go after the parent to try to force them to sign their child up for private insurance.
What happens if the coverage is too expensive?
If the non-custodial parent’s income is not sufficient to cover both the child support payments and the cost of health insurance, the court can order the parent to pay 5% of his or her gross income on top of their regular child support payment. This additional money is meant to reimburse the state for a portion of the costs of Rite Care and will be deducted from the parent’s paychecks.
Children deserve to have both the emotional and financial support of both of their parents. While child support helps to provide for children’s basic needs, it might not be enough to pay for the costs of their medical care. Because of this, non-custodial parents may be ordered to provide insurance coverage or to make medical support payments in addition to their monthly child support obligations as a part of their child support cases.
