House File 2076

                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  CARROLL


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to insurance coverage under a medical support
  2    order.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 5058YH 80
  5 pf/pj/5

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  Section 252E.7, Code 2003, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  7.  For the purposes of this section, the
  1  4 insurer of the obligor includes an insurer who provides a
  1  5 health benefit plan under which the obligor is covered and
  1  6 under which the dependent is otherwise eligible to be covered
  1  7 and includes an insurer providing a health benefit plan to the
  1  8 obligor's spouse if the obligor is covered under such plan.
  1  9    Sec. 2.  Section 252E.8, Code 2003, is amended by adding
  1 10 the following new subsection:
  1 11    NEW SUBSECTION.  5.  For the purposes of this section, the
  1 12 insurer of the obligor includes an insurer who provides a
  1 13 health benefit plan under which the obligor is covered and
  1 14 under which the dependent is otherwise eligible to be covered
  1 15 and includes an insurer providing a health benefit plan to the
  1 16 obligor's spouse if the obligor is covered under such plan.
  1 17    Sec. 3.  Section 514C.9, subsection 5, Code 2003, is
  1 18 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  1 19    NEW PARAGRAPH.  cc.  "Insurer of the obligor" means an
  1 20 insurer who provides a health benefit plan under which the
  1 21 obligor is covered and under which the dependent is otherwise
  1 22 eligible to be covered and includes an insurer providing a
  1 23 health benefit plan to the obligor's spouse if the obligor is
  1 24 covered under such plan.
  1 25    Sec. 4.  Section 598.21, subsection 4, paragraph c, Code
  1 26 Supplement 2003, is amended to read as follows:
  1 27    c.  (1)  The guidelines prescribed by the supreme court
  1 28 shall incorporate provisions for medical support as defined in
  1 29 chapter 252E to be effective on or before January 1, 1991.
  1 30    (2)  In any order of medical support issued by the court,
  1 31 the court shall require all of the following:
  1 32    (a)  That the signature of the custodial parent of the
  1 33 child shall constitute a valid authorization to the insurer
  1 34 for all of the following:
  1 35    (i)  For the purposes of processing an insurance payment to
  2  1 the provider of the medical services or to the custodial
  2  2 parent.
  2  3    (ii)  For the purposes of providing information to the
  2  4 custodial parent regarding the child's health benefit plan
  2  5 coverages.
  2  6    (b)  That neither the custodial parent nor the noncustodial
  2  7 parent shall interfere with the timely processing of any
  2  8 insurance claim.
  2  9    (c)  If the parent or other individual entity receiving an
  2 10 insurance payment based on medical services provided to the
  2 11 child is not the parent or other individual obligated to pay
  2 12 for those medical services, the parent or other individual
  2 13 entity receiving the payment shall promptly transmit the
  2 14 payment to the parent or other individual obligated to pay for
  2 15 those medical services.
  2 16    For the purposes of this subparagraph (2), "insurer" means
  2 17 any entity that provides a health benefit plan as defined in
  2 18 section 252E.1 to a child under a medical support order.
  2 19                           EXPLANATION
  2 20    This bill provides that under the medical support chapter,
  2 21 which provides for the coverage of the medical expenses of a
  2 22 child under a medical support order, for the purposes of
  2 23 authorizing enrollment of a child in a health benefit plan and
  2 24 for the purposes of the release of information by the insurer,
  2 25 "insurer of the obligor" includes an insurer who provides a
  2 26 health benefit plan under which the obligor is covered and
  2 27 under which the dependent is otherwise eligible to be covered,
  2 28 and includes an insurer providing a health benefit plan to the
  2 29 obligor's spouse if the obligor is covered under such plan.
  2 30    The bill also provides that in any medical support order
  2 31 issued by the court, the court is to require all of the
  2 32 following:
  2 33    1.  That the signature of the custodial parent of the
  2 34 insured by child constitutes a valid authorization to the
  2 35 insurer for all of the following:
  3  1    a.  For the purposes of processing an insurance payment to
  3  2 the provider of the medical services or to the custodial
  3  3 parent.
  3  4    b.  For the purposes of providing information to the
  3  5 custodial parent regarding the child's medical coverage.
  3  6    2.  That neither the custodial parent nor the noncustodial
  3  7 parent shall interfere with the timely processing of any
  3  8 insurance claim.
  3  9    3.  If the parent or other individual receiving an
  3 10 insurance payment based on medical services provided to the
  3 11 child is not the parent or other individual obligated to pay
  3 12 for those medical services, the parent or other individual
  3 13 receiving the payment shall promptly transmit the payment to
  3 14 the parent or other individual obligated to make the payment.
  3 15 LSB 5058YH 80
  3 16 pf/pj/5