Calculating Health Insurance Premiums

[mad_as_hell]

The agreement signed between T and his ex says that they are to pay the health ins. premium "equally". C is on her step father's med ins. Also on this med. ins. are step-father, J (the ex), and their three children. A total of 6 people. To calculate C's portion of the premium, J claims that in "speaking with other mothers", because it is a family plan it does not matter that there are 6 people on the plan. Therefore it is only "fair" to divide the premium per pay period by only 4 people. But, we are of the opinion that each person iis still being covered under that plan and each person in the household then still accounts for a portion of that premium per pay period. Therefore, shouldn't we be dividing the premium by 6 to get C's portion? That seems fair to me because C is T's only child. Isn't this just a way for her to get him to pay for some of her other children's expenses?! What do you think?

[jilly]

I don't know what State you live in, but in NC the child support worksheet A has a line that reads:

"health insurance premum costs-child(ren) portion only (total preium + # of persons covered X # of children subject to order = children's portion)"

Check the child support worksheet for your State and see if it gives the same kind of formula for calculating health insurance premium for the child for whom support is owed.

My DH has the same issue. I think his ex is claiming too much for health insurance coverage.  She and SD are both on step-father's health insurance. On the worksheet it says that the premium for SD is $179.00.  I'm sure that the step-father doesn't have to pay anything towards health insurance and that this represents the total amount he pays for dependant coverage, which means DH is basically reimbursing step-father for what he's paying for health insurance when he pays CS.  Of course, DH doesn't want to have CS modified since he'd probably end up with an increase so it's best in his case to let sleeping dogs lie.

[SadStepMom]

This is what I was told by the child support case worker we have in Oregon, because DH can deduct what he pays for HC for the kids from child support.

There are different levels of coverage, and related cost for insurance for DH's company's (most companies I think are this way)

A single person has one premium
A married person has an increased premium
and then there is a family premium, (which it doesn't change if you have 1 kid or 20)

To determine how much of the premium is for the kids, we take the family premium and deduct the married premium.

That amount is the amount that is paid because of the children.

Then take that amount and divide by the total number of kids on the policy.

Since there is just one child in question, this amount is the amount that is C's portion.

I have no idea if this is the legal way, but it sounded like the fair way to do it, so we have not questioned it.

[4honor]

is whether the employee with the insurance has to pay for their own coverage. Find out where SF works and ask about their benefit package.

I am in WA. I had (recently laid off) my health ins paid in full by employer. DH also had his paid in full by employer. PLUS We carried extra coverage for catastrophic events, etc that we paid for on ALL of us.  DH carried all 3 children on his health insurance. DH has 1 child with his ex.

So, the calculation went like this:

regular health insurance premium X 1/3 = SS' share
PLUS
Catastrophic ins premium total X 1/6 = SS' share
= Total monthly premium for SS  ($62)
X 50% (DH had 50/50 share for CS) = $31 Monthly (in our case credited) CS amount for insurance to be considered in the sum of monthly CS. BM must prove expenses of $372 a year for SS before DH has to kick in for unreimbursed health care.