PDFWAC 388-14A-3312
The division of child support serves a notice of support owed to establish a fixed dollar amount owed by either parent for medical support.
(1) Depending on the specific requirements of the child support order, and only if the case meets the criteria set out in WAC 388-14A-4100, the division of child support (DCS) may serve a notice of support owed under RCW 26.23.110, WAC 388-14A-3310 and this section:
(a) On either the noncustodial parent (NCP) or the custodial parent (CP), as appropriate, in order to:
(i) Establish as a sum certain and collect the obligated parent's proportionate share of uninsured medical expenses owed to the parent seeking reimbursement. This process is called reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses;
(ii) Establish as a sum certain and collect the obligated parent's monthly payment toward the premium currently being paid by the other parent for health care coverage for a child named in the support order; or
(iii) Establish and collect amounts owed under both subsections (a)(i) and (a)(ii) of this section.
(b) On the NCP in order to establish as a sum certain and collect the NCP's monthly payment toward the premium paid by the state for managed care coverage for a child named in the support order, if the child receives public health care coverage in the state of Washington, whether or not there is an assignment of rights.
(2) Unless otherwise specified in the order, each parent's proportionate share of uninsured medical expenses and health care premiums is the same as the proportionate share of income shown on the Washington state child support schedule worksheet that was completed as part of the support order.
(a) On occasion, a tribunal may specify that medical support obligations are to be shared between the parents at a different percentage than the one on the worksheet.
(b) DCS follows the terms of the underlying order when serving a notice of support owed under this section.
(3) WAC 388-14A-4111 and 388-14A-4112 set out some of the reasons why DCS may decline a party's request to enforce a medical support obligation.
(4) Only a CP who is both a parent of the child and a party to the support order may ask DCS to serve a notice of support owed on the NCP under subsection (1)(a) of this section. If the CP is not both a parent of the child and a party to the support order, DCS' denial of the request does not affect the CP's ability to bring an action in another tribunal to enforce the CP's claim against the NCP for medical support. The CP may file an action in court to:
(a) Make a claim for reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses;
(b) Make a claim for a monthly contribution toward any health care coverage provided by the CP; or
(c) Seek both kinds of relief against the NCP.
(5) DCS may serve a notice of support owed on the NCP under subsection (1)(b) of this section without regard to the CP's status as a parent or party to the order, if the child receives public health care coverage in the state of Washington, whether or not there is an assignment of rights.
(6) Except as limited in subsection (4) above, either the NCP or the CP may ask DCS to serve a notice of support owed on the other party to the support order in order to establish the obligated parent's proportionate share of uninsured medical expenses as a sum certain amount if the support order establishes such an obligation. The parent seeking reimbursement for uninsured medical expenses must:
(a) Apply for full collection services at the time of the request, unless the parent already has an open full collection case with DCS;
(b) Have paid the uninsured medical expenses before seeking reimbursement through DCS;
(c) Provide proof of payment of at least 500 dollars in uninsured medical expenses;
(d) Complete the forms provided by DCS for the claim, or at a minimum present the required information and documentation in a format similar to that in the DCS forms; and
(e) Declare under penalty of perjury that he or she has asked the obligated parent to pay his or her share of the uninsured medical expenses or provide good cause for not asking the obligated parent.
(i) If the uninsured medical expenses have been incurred within the last 12 months, this requirement is waived; and
(ii) If the obligated party denies having received notice that the other party was seeking reimbursement for uninsured medical expenses or support, the service of the notice of support owed constitutes the required notice.
(7) A party's request that DCS serve a notice of support owed to establish the other parent's obligation for medical support, including reimbursement for uninsured medical expenses:
(a) May be for a period of up to 24 consecutive months;
(b) May include only medical services provided after July 21, 2007;
(c) May not include months which were included in a prior notice of support owed for medical support or a prior judgment;
(d) Need not be for the 24 month period immediately following the period included in the prior notice of support owed for medical support;
(e) May include a claim for the obligated parent's proportionate share of any health care coverage premiums paid by the requesting parent after July 21, 2007, but this type of claim is limited as provided in subsections (11) and (12) of this section; and
(f) May include a request that DCS establish a monthly payment toward the premium representing the obligated parent's proportionate share of the premium paid by the requesting parent only for premiums paid for health care coverage provided after September 30, 2009.
(8) The party seeking reimbursement must ask DCS to serve a notice of support owed for medical support within two years of the date that the uninsured medical expense or premium was incurred.
(a) The fact that a request that DCS serve a notice of support owed for medical support is denied, either in whole or in part, does not mean that the party cannot pursue reimbursement of those uninsured medical expenses by proceeding in court.
(b) If a party obtains a judgment for reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses or other type of medical support, DCS enforces the judgment.
(9) When either party asks DCS to serve a notice of support owed under this section to establish the other party's proportionate share of uninsured medical expenses as a sum certain amount and the medical expenses include premiums for health care coverage for the children covered by the order, DCS reviews the order to determine whether it provides for a monthly payment toward the premium when the obligated parent does not have insurance available through his or her employer or union.
(a) If the order does not have such a requirement, DCS includes the health care coverage premiums in the claim for reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses, but limits the obligated parent's obligation as provided in subsections (11) and (12) of this section.
(b) If the order does have such a requirement, DCS serves a notice of support owed which:
(i) Includes the health care coverage premiums in the claim for reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses; and
(ii) If appropriate, includes the provisions necessary to establish a monthly contribution which represents the obligated parent's proportionate share of the premium paid by the other parent (not to exceed 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation), if the obligated parent is not already providing health care coverage for the children.
(10) There are two circumstances under which DCS may serve a notice of support owed to establish the amount owed by an obligated parent as a monthly payment toward the premium paid for coverage by the other parent or the state. DCS may serve the notice of support owed when the support order:
(a) Specifically provides that the obligated parent's medical support obligation under RCW 26.09.105 (1)(c) is to pay a monthly payment toward the premium instead of providing health care coverage, but does not set that obligation as a sum certain; or
(b) Provides that, if health insurance is not available through the obligated parent's employer or union at a cost not to exceed 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation, the obligated parent must pay a monthly payment toward the premium but does not set that obligation as a sum certain. In this situation, DCS serves the notice of support owed to establish a monthly payment toward the premium paid only if the obligated parent is not already providing coverage for the children.
(11) DCS may collect a maximum of 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation for medical premium costs claimed by the requesting party.
(12) DCS may not collect for medical premium costs claimed by the requesting party through either the monthly payment toward the premium or the reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses if the obligated parent is providing accessible health care coverage for the child. The obligated parent is only required to pay those costs if he or she is not providing accessible health care coverage for the child.
(13) Once DCS serves a notice of support owed under this section that establishes a medical support obligation representing the obligated parent's proportionate share of the premium paid by the other parent, the obligated parent is not required to reimburse the other parent for any amounts of that proportionate share of the premium which are not paid because those amounts exceed 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation.
(a) That portion of the obligated parent's proportionate share of the premium for a month that is not included in the obligated parent's monthly payment toward the premium may not be recovered by a later claim for unreimbursed medical expenses; and
(b) The obligation to contribute a proportionate share of other uninsured medical expenses is not affected by the establishment of a medical support obligation for medical premiums paid by the requesting parent under this section.
(14) Once DCS serves a notice of support owed under this section that establishes a monthly payment toward the premium which represents the NCP's proportionate share of the premium paid by the state, the NCP is not required to reimburse the state for any amounts of that proportionate share of the premium which are not paid because those amounts exceed 25 percent of the NCP's basic support obligation.
(15) An NCP who wants DCS to enforce the CP's medical support obligation must first apply for full child support enforcement services.
(a) DCS enforces a CP's medical support obligation only as provided under WAC 388-14A-4112.
(b) If the parties already have an open full enforcement case with DCS, DCS opens up a new case which is called the medical support case, and the previously existing case is called the main case.
(c) If the parties do not already have an open full enforcement case with DCS, DCS opens two cases:
(i) The case where DCS is acting on NCP's request to enforce CP's medical support obligation is called the medical support case; and
(ii) The case where DCS is enforcing the underlying support order and collecting from the NCP is called the main case.
(16) In a notice of support owed under this section, DCS includes the information required by RCW 26.23.110, and:
(a) The factors stated in the order regarding medical support;
(b) A statement of uninsured medical expenses and a declaration by the parent seeking reimbursement; and
(c) Any other information not contained in the order that DCS used to calculate the amounts in the notice.
(17) Whenever DCS serves a notice of support owed under this section, that notice may also include a determination of the fixed dollar amount of:
(a) Any medical support debt owed by the obligated parent;
(b) Any amounts owed by the obligated parent under a previous notice of support owed that exceed the obligated parent's actual monthly obligation to pay a proportionate share of the premium after actual expenses or updated proportionate shares owed are considered, but not to exceed 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation; and
(c) Any amounts owed by the obligated parent under a previous notice of support owed that are less than the obligated parent's actual monthly obligation to pay a proportionate share of the premium after actual expenses or updated proportionate shares owed are considered, but not to exceed 25 percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation.
(18) If the notice of support owed contains a determination that the order resulting from a previous notice of support owed calculated a medical support obligation that differed from the obligated parent's actual obligation after actual expenses or updated proportionate shares owed are considered, the notice may address how any difference may be credited or repaid in the absence of any agreement between the parties.
(19) If the obligated parent is the NCP, any amounts owed under a previous notice of support owed exceeding the actual obligation after actual expenses or updated proportionate shares owed are considered in the final administrative order are added to the NCP's support debt.
(a) Amounts owed to the CP are added to the unassigned arrears on the case.
(b) Amounts owed to reimburse the state for medicaid or other public health care coverage in the state of Washington are added to the main case as permanently assigned arrears.
(20) If the obligated parent is the CP, any amounts owed under a previous notice of support owed exceeding the actual obligation after actual expenses are considered in the final administrative order are paid in the following order:
(a) Any amount owed by the CP to the NCP is applied as an offset to any nonassistance child support arrears owed by the NCP on the main case only; or
(b) If there is no debt owed to the CP on the main case, payment of the amount owed by the CP is in the form of a credit against the NCP's future child support obligation:
(i) Spread equally over a 12 month period starting the month after the administrative order becomes final; or
(ii) When the future support obligation will end under the terms of the order in less than 12 months, spread equally over the life of the order.
(c) If the amount owed by the CP exceeds the amount that can be paid off using the methods specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, DCS uses the medical support case to collect the remaining amounts owed using the remedies available to DCS for collecting child support debts.
(21) If both the CP and the NCP request that DCS serve a notice of support owed under this section on the other party, those notices remain separate and may not be combined.
(a) The office of administrative hearings (OAH) may schedule consecutive hearings but may not combine the matters under the same docket number.
(b) The administrative law judge (ALJ) must issue two separate administrative orders, one for each obligated parent.
(22) See WAC 388-14A-3330 for additional procedures used by DCS for an annual review of the amounts established by a notice of support owed.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.09.105, 26.23.110, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, and 74.20A.310. WSR 21-24-063, § 388-14A-3312, filed 11/29/21, effective 12/30/21. Statutory Authority: Part I of 2018 c 150 and RCW 26.09.105, 26.18.170, 26.23.050, 34.05.220 (1)(a), 34.05.350(1), 74.08.090, and 74.20.040(9). WSR 19-02-017, § 388-14A-3312, filed 12/21/18, effective 1/21/19. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.09.105(17), 26.18.170(19), 26.23.050(8), 26.23.110(14), 34.05.020, 34.05.060, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.055(9), and 74.20A.056(11). WSR 11-12-006, § 388-14A-3312, filed 5/19/11, effective 6/19/11. Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. WSR 08-12-029, § 388-14A-3312, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08.]