Doctor Bills

[spangle1033]

Hiya Soc!

All parties in GA.

DH is NCP.

CP has full legal and physical custody, NCP has visitation.

Custody order states that CP has 30 days from time of all medical / dental billing to submit all bills to NCP so that he can pay 50%.  According to the order, DH has 30 days from receival of bills to pay his 50% (either to the medical office or to CP).

CP has a long history of not paying her 50% of medical bills to the offices, so for the past several years DH has paid his portion directly to the office which performed the service.  This figures into Question #1.

As of late, we have been getting insurance notifications that the children have been going to the Doctor.  Also, we received a bill from a Dental Office where CP put DH down as the responsible party.  However, CP has yet to submit any bills to DH for him to pay 50%.

1. Does CP have the right to put DH down as the responsible party?  We're very worried about this because even after we pay our half, we seem to still be responsible for CP's half (which she will never pay).

2.  If CP doesn't submit bills to us and lets them stack up over a years time, do we still have only 30 days to pay them?

In reference to Question 2, theoretically we could use the Insurance notifications to track down the Doctors and get the bill from them....but with the way CP changes Doctors (due to non-payment) that would take up a major amount of time.

Thanks Soc :-)

[socrateaser]

>Hiya Soc!
>
>All parties in GA.
>
>DH is NCP.
>
>CP has full legal and physical custody, NCP has visitation.
>
>Custody order states that CP has 30 days from time of all
>medical / dental billing to submit all bills to NCP so that he
>can pay 50%.  According to the order, DH has 30 days from
>receival of bills to pay his 50% (either to the medical office
>or to CP).
>
>CP has a long history of not paying her 50% of medical bills
>to the offices, so for the past several years DH has paid his
>portion directly to the office which performed the service.
>This figures into Question #1.
>
>As of late, we have been getting insurance notifications that
>the children have been going to the Doctor.  Also, we received
>a bill from a Dental Office where CP put DH down as the
>responsible party.  However, CP has yet to submit any bills to
>DH for him to pay 50%.
>
>1. Does CP have the right to put DH down as the responsible
>party?  We're very worried about this because even after we
>pay our half, we seem to still be responsible for CP's half
>(which she will never pay).

CP has no authority to make you responsible, but no one other than a judge can order her to stop putting your name on the bills.

>
>2.  If CP doesn't submit bills to us and lets them stack up
>over a years time, do we still have only 30 days to pay them?

No. But, you might sill be ordered to pay your half, if you never did, assuming that the CP produces the receipts in court, and shows that he/she paid your half.

>
>In reference to Question 2, theoretically we could use the
>Insurance notifications to track down the Doctors and get the
>bill from them....but with the way CP changes Doctors (due to
>non-payment) that would take up a major amount of time.
>

You could refuse to pay the physician, but you risk being sued on grounds that the physician rendered necessary care to your child for which the court would likely hold you liable.

The better action is to pay the bills and then demand payment from the other parent, and if you don't receive it, file a motion for contempt on grounds that the parent refused to pay, and then ask that your child support obligation be credited for the amount not reimbursed, and that the other parent be ordered to do community service as a sanction.