State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_SB1055

      750 ILCS 5/505.2          from Ch. 40, par. 505.2
          Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of  Marriage
      Act.   Makes  a  stylistic  change  in provisions relating to
      health insurance.
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                                               LRB9001224WHmg
 1        AN ACT to amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution  of
 2    Marriage Act by changing Section 505.2.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The  Illinois  Marriage  and  Dissolution  of
 6    Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 505.2 as follows:
 7        (750 ILCS 5/505.2) (from Ch. 40, par. 505.2)
 8        (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 89-507)
 9        Sec. 505.2. Health insurance.
10        (a)  Definitions.  As used in this Section:
11             (1)  "Obligee"  means  the  individual to whom a the
12        duty  of  support  is  owed  or  the  individual's  legal
13        representative.
14             (2)  "Obligor" means the individual who owes a  duty
15        of support pursuant to an order for support.
16             (3)  "Public  office"  means any elected official or
17        any  State  or  local  agency  which  is  or  may  become
18        responsible by law for enforcement of, or which is or may
19        become authorized  to  enforce,  an  order  for  support,
20        including, but not limited to:  the Attorney General, the
21        Illinois   Department   of   Public   Aid,  the  Illinois
22        Department   of   Mental   Health    and    Developmental
23        Disabilities,  the  Illinois  Department  of Children and
24        Family  Services,  and  the  various  State's  Attorneys,
25        Clerks of the Circuit Court and  supervisors  of  general
26        assistance.
27        (b)  Order.
28             (1)  Whenever  the  court  establishes,  modifies or
29        enforces an order for child support or for child  support
30        and  maintenance  the  court  shall,  upon request of the
31        obligee or Public Office, order that any child covered by
                            -2-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1        the order  be  named  as  a  beneficiary  of  any  health
 2        insurance  plan  that is available to the obligor through
 3        an employer or labor union or trade union.  If the  court
 4        finds  that  such a plan is not available to the obligor,
 5        or that the plan is not accessible to  the  obligee,  the
 6        court  may, upon request of the obligee or Public Office,
 7        order the obligor to name the child covered by the  order
 8        as  a  beneficiary  of  any health insurance plan that is
 9        available to the obligor  on  a  group  basis,  or  as  a
10        beneficiary of an independent health insurance plan to be
11        obtained  by the obligor, after considering the following
12        factors:
13                  (A)  the medical needs of the child;
14                  (B)  the availability of a plan to  meet  those
15             needs; and
16                  (C)  the cost of such a plan to the obligor.
17             (2)  If  the  employer or labor union or trade union
18        offers more than one plan, the order  shall  require  the
19        obligor to name the child as a beneficiary of the plan in
20        which the obligor is enrolled.
21             (3)  Nothing  in  this Section shall be construed to
22        limit the authority of the court to establish or modify a
23        support  order  to  provide  for  payment  of   expenses,
24        including  deductibles,  copayments  and any other health
25        expenses, which are in addition to expenses covered by an
26        insurance plan of which a child is ordered to be named  a
27        beneficiary pursuant to this Section.
28        (c)  Implementation and enforcement.
29             (1)  When  the  court  order  requires  that a minor
30        child be named as a beneficiary  of  a  health  insurance
31        plan,  other  than  a  health  insurance  plan  available
32        through  an  employer  or labor union or trade union, the
33        obligor shall provide written proof  to  the  obligee  or
34        Public  Office  that  the  required  insurance  has  been
                            -3-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1        obtained,  or  that application for insurability has been
 2        made, within 30 days of receiving  notice  of  the  court
 3        order.   Unless the obligor was present in court when the
 4        order was issued, notice of  the  order  shall  be  given
 5        pursuant  to  Illinois Supreme Court Rules. If an obligor
 6        fails to provide the required proof, he may  be  held  in
 7        contempt of court.
 8             (2)  When  the  court requires that a minor child be
 9        named  as  a  beneficiary  of  a  health  insurance  plan
10        available through an employer or  labor  union  or  trade
11        union,   the   court's  order  shall  be  implemented  in
12        accordance  with  Section  706.1,  as  now  or  hereafter
13        amended.
14        (d)  Failure to maintain insurance.  The dollar amount of
15    the premiums for  court-ordered  health  insurance,  or  that
16    portion  of the premiums for which the obligor is responsible
17    in the case  of  insurance  provided  under  a  group  health
18    insurance  plan  through  an employer or labor union or trade
19    union where the employer or labor union or trade union pays a
20    portion of the premiums, shall be  considered  an  additional
21    child  support  obligation owed by the obligor.  Whenever the
22    obligor  fails  to  provide  or  maintain  health   insurance
23    pursuant to an order for support, the obligor shall be liable
24    to  the  obligee  for the dollar amount of the premiums which
25    were not paid, and shall  also  be  liable  for  all  medical
26    expenses  incurred  by  the minor child which would have been
27    paid or reimbursed by the health insurance which the  obligor
28    was  ordered to provide or maintain. In addition, the obligee
29    may petition the court to modify the order  based  solely  on
30    the  obligor's  failure to pay the premiums for court-ordered
31    health insurance.
32        (e)  Authorization for  payment.  The  signature  of  the
33    obligee  is a valid authorization to the insurer to process a
34    claim for payment under the insurance plan to the provider of
                            -4-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1    the health care services or to the obligee.
 2        (f)  Disclosure of information.  The  obligor's  employer
 3    or  labor  union or trade union shall disclose to the obligee
 4    or Public Office, upon request,  information  concerning  any
 5    dependent  coverage  plans which would be made available to a
 6    new employee or labor union member  or  trade  union  member.
 7    The  employer  or  labor  union or trade union shall disclose
 8    such information whether or not a  court  order  for  medical
 9    support has been entered.
10        (g)  Employer obligations.  If a parent is required by an
11    order  for  support  to provide coverage for a child's health
12    care expenses and if that coverage is available to the parent
13    through an employer who does  business  in  this  State,  the
14    employer  must do all of the following upon receipt of a copy
15    of the order of support or order for withholding:
16             (1)  The employer shall, upon the parent's  request,
17        permit the parent to include in that coverage a child who
18        is  otherwise  eligible for that coverage, without regard
19        to  any  enrollment  season   restrictions   that   might
20        otherwise  be  applicable  as  to  the time period within
21        which the child may be added to that coverage.
22             (2)  If the parent has health care coverage  through
23        the  employer  but  fails  to  apply  for coverage of the
24        child, the  employer  shall  include  the  child  in  the
25        parent's  coverage  upon application by the child's other
26        parent or the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
27             (3)  The employer may not eliminate any  child  from
28        the  parent's health care coverage unless the employee is
29        no longer employed by the employer and no longer  covered
30        under  the  employer's  group  health  plan or unless the
31        employer is provided with satisfactory  written  evidence
32        of either of the following:
33                  (A)  The  order  for  support  is  no longer in
34             effect.
                            -5-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1                  (B)  The child is or  will  be  included  in  a
 2             comparable  health  care plan obtained by the parent
 3             under such order that is currently in effect or will
 4             take  effect  no  later  than  the  date  the  prior
 5             coverage is terminated.
 6             The employer may eliminate a child from  a  parent's
 7        health  care plan obtained by the parent under such order
 8        if the employer  has  eliminated  dependent  health  care
 9        coverage for all of its employees.
10    (Source: P.A. 89-183, eff. 1-1-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)
11        (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 89-507)
12        Sec. 505.2. Health insurance.
13        (a)  Definitions.  As used in this Section:
14             (1)  "Obligee"  means  the  individual to whom a the
15        duty  of  support  is  owed  or  the  individual's  legal
16        representative.
17             (2)  "Obligor" means the individual who owes a  duty
18        of support pursuant to an order for support.
19             (3)  "Public  office"  means any elected official or
20        any  State  or  local  agency  which  is  or  may  become
21        responsible by law for enforcement of, or which is or may
22        become authorized  to  enforce,  an  order  for  support,
23        including, but not limited to:  the Attorney General, the
24        Illinois   Department   of   Public   Aid,  the  Illinois
25        Department of Human Services, the Illinois Department  of
26        Children  and  Family  Services,  and the various State's
27        Attorneys, Clerks of the Circuit Court and supervisors of
28        general assistance.
29        (b)  Order.
30             (1)  Whenever the  court  establishes,  modifies  or
31        enforces  an order for child support or for child support
32        and maintenance the court  shall,  upon  request  of  the
33        obligee or Public Office, order that any child covered by
34        the  order  be  named  as  a  beneficiary  of  any health
                            -6-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1        insurance plan that is available to the  obligor  through
 2        an  employer or labor union or trade union.  If the court
 3        finds that such a plan is not available to  the  obligor,
 4        or  that  the  plan is not accessible to the obligee, the
 5        court may, upon request of the obligee or Public  Office,
 6        order  the obligor to name the child covered by the order
 7        as a beneficiary of any health  insurance  plan  that  is
 8        available  to  the  obligor  on  a  group  basis, or as a
 9        beneficiary of an independent health insurance plan to be
10        obtained by the obligor, after considering the  following
11        factors:
12                  (A)  the medical needs of the child;
13                  (B)  the  availability  of a plan to meet those
14             needs; and
15                  (C)  the cost of such a plan to the obligor.
16             (2)  If the employer or labor union or  trade  union
17        offers  more  than  one plan, the order shall require the
18        obligor to name the child as a beneficiary of the plan in
19        which the obligor is enrolled.
20             (3)  Nothing in this Section shall be  construed  to
21        limit the authority of the court to establish or modify a
22        support   order  to  provide  for  payment  of  expenses,
23        including deductibles, copayments and  any  other  health
24        expenses, which are in addition to expenses covered by an
25        insurance  plan of which a child is ordered to be named a
26        beneficiary pursuant to this Section.
27        (c)  Implementation and enforcement.
28             (1)  When the court  order  requires  that  a  minor
29        child  be  named  as  a beneficiary of a health insurance
30        plan,  other  than  a  health  insurance  plan  available
31        through an employer or labor union or  trade  union,  the
32        obligor  shall  provide  written  proof to the obligee or
33        Public  Office  that  the  required  insurance  has  been
34        obtained, or that application for insurability  has  been
                            -7-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1        made,  within  30  days  of receiving notice of the court
 2        order.  Unless the obligor was present in court when  the
 3        order  was  issued,  notice  of  the order shall be given
 4        pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rules. If  an  obligor
 5        fails  to  provide  the required proof, he may be held in
 6        contempt of court.
 7             (2)  When the court requires that a minor  child  be
 8        named  as  a  beneficiary  of  a  health  insurance  plan
 9        available  through  an  employer  or labor union or trade
10        union,  the  court's  order  shall  be   implemented   in
11        accordance  with  Section  706.1,  as  now  or  hereafter
12        amended.
13        (d)  Failure to maintain insurance.  The dollar amount of
14    the  premiums  for  court-ordered  health  insurance, or that
15    portion of the premiums for which the obligor is  responsible
16    in  the  case  of  insurance  provided  under  a group health
17    insurance plan through an employer or labor  union  or  trade
18    union where the employer or labor union or trade union pays a
19    portion  of  the  premiums, shall be considered an additional
20    child support obligation owed by the obligor.   Whenever  the
21    obligor   fails  to  provide  or  maintain  health  insurance
22    pursuant to an order for support, the obligor shall be liable
23    to the obligee for the dollar amount of  the  premiums  which
24    were  not  paid,  and  shall  also  be liable for all medical
25    expenses incurred by the minor child which  would  have  been
26    paid  or reimbursed by the health insurance which the obligor
27    was ordered to provide or maintain. In addition, the  obligee
28    may  petition  the  court to modify the order based solely on
29    the obligor's failure to pay the premiums  for  court-ordered
30    health insurance.
31        (e)  Authorization  for  payment.  The  signature  of the
32    obligee is a valid authorization to the insurer to process  a
33    claim for payment under the insurance plan to the provider of
34    the health care services or to the obligee.
                            -8-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1        (f)  Disclosure  of  information.  The obligor's employer
 2    or labor union or trade union shall disclose to  the  obligee
 3    or  Public  Office,  upon request, information concerning any
 4    dependent coverage plans which would be made available  to  a
 5    new  employee  or  labor  union member or trade union member.
 6    The employer or labor union or  trade  union  shall  disclose
 7    such  information  whether  or  not a court order for medical
 8    support has been entered.
 9        (g)  Employer obligations.  If a parent is required by an
10    order for support to provide coverage for  a  child's  health
11    care expenses and if that coverage is available to the parent
12    through  an  employer  who  does  business in this State, the
13    employer must do all of the following upon receipt of a  copy
14    of the order of support or order for withholding:
15             (1)  The  employer shall, upon the parent's request,
16        permit the parent to include in that coverage a child who
17        is otherwise eligible for that coverage,  without  regard
18        to   any   enrollment   season  restrictions  that  might
19        otherwise be applicable as  to  the  time  period  within
20        which the child may be added to that coverage.
21             (2)  If  the parent has health care coverage through
22        the employer but fails  to  apply  for  coverage  of  the
23        child,  the  employer  shall  include  the  child  in the
24        parent's coverage upon application by the  child's  other
25        parent or the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
26             (3)  The  employer  may not eliminate any child from
27        the parent's health care coverage unless the employee  is
28        no  longer employed by the employer and no longer covered
29        under the employer's group  health  plan  or  unless  the
30        employer  is  provided with satisfactory written evidence
31        of either of the following:
32                  (A)  The order for  support  is  no  longer  in
33             effect.
34                  (B)  The  child  is  or  will  be included in a
                            -9-                LRB9001224WHmg
 1             comparable health care plan obtained by  the  parent
 2             under such order that is currently in effect or will
 3             take  effect  no  later  than  the  date  the  prior
 4             coverage is terminated.
 5             The  employer  may eliminate a child from a parent's
 6        health care plan obtained by the parent under such  order
 7        if  the  employer  has  eliminated  dependent health care
 8        coverage for all of its employees.
 9    (Source: P.A.  89-183,  eff.  1-1-96;  89-507,  eff.  7-1-97;
10    89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)

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