Can the Ex legally put my name on medical accounts. Our divorce papers state that we are to split the co-pay? What can I do to stop this?
Only the person who signs for treatment is soley responsible to the practitioner or healthcare facility for payment. So if the bills are coming to you, it seems to me that the ex is putting YOUR name (possibly forging) on the registration forms.
The person who requests care is the one who has to pay, after that if the charges are to be split, it has to be worked out between the parties, be it by CO or personal arrangement.
is that true even for a kid?
meaning if I have a kid and need to take him to the Dr yet put his address (and his mom's) for the bill, ... is that forgery?
Take a copy of your court order with you. We always keep a copy with us. Have the account put in both names but your billing address. Pay the bill and send the other parent a copy showing that it's paid in full, send it return receipt, giving them 30 days to reimburse you. If they don't, file a motion for contempt and ask for court costs and your attorney's fees from other parent(you wouldn't have had to go to court if they had reimbursed you). You can request at the court date to have a set method of payment and reimbursement added to the court order (to avoid bothering the judge again). Have something ready, in writing, to suggest. In our state it is usual for the parent with sole, primary, or residential placement to pay the bill and submit proof of payment to the other parent for reimbursement with in 60 days of the bill being paid, no matter who takes the child in for care. But, it must be in the court order!
let the insurance pay their part too.....(if there is any)
Kitty is right -- whomever takes the child to the doctor is legally responsible for the bill.
The only way to stop this is ONE doctor at a time, one incident at a time as the NCP finds out about them by contacting the office (preferably in writing) and asking them to show you where you authorized the care.
We are currently in a heated depate over medical bills with DH's PBFH. In their divorce decree it states that DH is to supply insurance and that anything not covered is to be split 50/50 between the two parents. We always get stuck with the whole bill and when we call the hospital or wherever they were treated they don't care to hear what we have to say. All they care about is getting paid their money. PBFH is convinced that everything owed is DHs responsibility because she pays a copay at each visit. We finally called one dr's office and stated that we had not authorized care and that we didn't feel the account should be in DH's name. If you provide insurance for your children you will automatically get the bill. Doesn't matter who took the child in. That is what we were told. We finally got lucky and got through to a caring and understanding person just last week who said for DH to send yet another copy of his divorce decree and pay half of the outstanding balance and they would then bill the ex. They are supposed to have it noted on the kids accounts now that two bills need to be sent out. Don't know yet if that will work but our fingers are crossed. So if you are providing insurance that may be where the problem lies.