Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §1653, sub-§8, śC, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

C. The court may require the payment of part or all of the medical expenses, hospital expenses and other health care expenses of the child. The court order must include a provision requiring the obligated at least one parent to obtain and maintain health insurance coverage for medical, hospitalization and dental expenses, if reasonable cost health insurance is available to the obligated that parent. The court order must also require the obligated parent providing insurance to furnish proof of coverage to the obligee other parent within 15 days of receipt of a copy of the court order. If reasonable cost health insurance is not available at the time of the hearing, the court order must establish the obligation to provide health insurance on the part of the obligated at least one parent, effective immediately upon reasonable cost health insurance being available.

SUMMARY

Current law presumes that the parent paying child support also provides health insurance for the child. This bill allows the court to order either parent, or both, to provide health insurance coverage for the child.