Reimbursing Ex-Wife For Children’s Medical Expenses

Noblesville Indiana Divorce LawyerQuestion:

I am ordered to reimburse a percentage of medical expenses for my children. I recently paid $4,000 to my ex-wife for braces for one of my kids.

However, after I paid, she received a $3,000 refund from the original orthodontist and then went to another orthodontist and I was ordered to pay $2,000 more for those fees.

I believe at the very least I should be entitled to half of my ex-wife’s refund she received from the first orthodontist. She is threatening to take me to court if I don’t pay her the new amount of $2,000, but I think part of the refund she received from money I paid should go toward that amount.

Who is right here?

Answer:

I am unable to give you legal advice on divorce. I can give general divorce help for men, though, my knowledge is based on Indiana divorce laws where I am licensed to practice.

Where I practice, uninsured medical and dental expenses are divided pro rata based on the parties income. Therefore, the party who makes more money pays a larger percentage of the uninsured medical or dental expenses after the first 6 percent of uninsured medical or dental expenses are paid by the party receiving the child support payments.

Therefore, after the recipient of child support has paid the first 6 percent of uninsured medical expenses for the year, then you, as the payor of child support would be responsible for your percentage of the remaining expenses.

Assuming the cost of the braces was incurred after the first 6 percent of expenses had been paid, you would be responsible for your percentage share of the expenses and your child’s mother would be responsible for her share.

Since the cost of the braces exceeded the amount of the refund, you would each be entitled to a percentage of the refund according to the percentage of the bill you each paid, assuming the refund was for the expenses already paid by both of you.

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In order to combat her potential claims that you are not entitled to any of the refund at a hearing, you should obtain a copy of all billing invoices from the prior dentist along with an accompanying Affidavit of Record Custodian or Business Record Affidavit so that the records may be presented at a hearing, if necessary.

You may not be entitled to a full refund of the original amount you paid to the first dentist. If you have joint legal custody, you may be able to argue that you did not agree to this change in treatment, and therefore should not be required to pay the new fees.

However, since the fees have already been incurred on behalf of the child, this argument may not be well received by a judge.

Remember, I am unable to provide you with anything more than divorce tips for men, so please consult with a divorce lawyer in your jurisdiction.

To arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Noblesville, Indiana Divorce Lawyer Sara Pitcher, contact Cordell & Cordell.

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3 comments on “Reimbursing Ex-Wife For Children’s Medical Expenses

    Can you clarify if a spouse can go back 15 years when no claim was previously submitted? What I am asking is there a statute of limitations on time in Indiana?

    I have met my 6% of the medical expenses on my child and have paid my half of the uninsured medical expenses. I carry primary insurance on my child and the non custodial parent carries secondary insurance. My insurance has made payment for medical care but has not sent the info off to the secondary plan. I have been receiving bills and paying them. The non custodial parent has copies of the primary EOBs and information to send off to his plan. He has yet to do so and We would be getting refund on services if the non custodial would send off the info as needed. Can he be court ordered to pay me back for the money I have paid if his plan were to pay the expenses? Because of HIPAA laws I am unable to submit the info to his plan and he chooses not to as well.

    Hello,
    In my case, I live in Indiana and I split physical custody with my ex wife. I am assigned as payor and also pay her support payments. The Indiana Guidelines state “Ordinary uninsured health care expenses are paid by the parent who is assigned to pay the controlled expenses (the parent for whom the parenting time credit is not calculated) up to six percent (6%) of the basic child support obligation”. This makes it seem as though I would pay the first 6% since I pay for controlled expenses. However your explanation above reads as though my ex wife would pay since I pay her support. Could you please clarify?

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