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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. LRB9001224WHmg 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 athe12 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 athe15 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.)