8.1 Medical Support

8.1.1 Medical Support Introduction
8.1.2 Recovery of Birth Costs
8.1.3 Referral to Child Support Agencies

8.1.1 Medical Support Introduction

Medical Support refers to the obligation that a parent has to pay for his or her child’s medical care, either through the provision of health insurance coverage or direct payment of medical bills. The child support agency (CSA) is responsible for establishing Medical support orders for some children receiving Medicaid who have an absent parent. The CSA is also responsible for establishing paternity and establishing medical support obligations for unpaid and ongoing medical support (including recovery of birth costs.)

8.1.2 Recovery of Birth Costs

When the non marital father of the unborn child is not included in the Medicaid group at the initial eligibility determination he could be held responsible for repayment of birth costs.

8.1.3 Referral to Child Support Agencies

The income maintenance (IM) agency provides the CSA with information vital to opening medical support cases. The IM agency also supplies continuing information, which assists the CSA in providing medical support services.

For health care applications, new health care requests on existing cases, and person add requests that include minor children who have an absent parent, a referral is systematically sent to the CSA at the time health care eligibility is confirmed, with the exception of the situations listed in Section 8.2.2 Exemptions from Cooperation. Detailed questions about absent parents (such as, name, Social Security number, date of birth, or contact information) cannot be asked during the application process for health care-only applications. The referral will still be sent to the CSA, even if the absent parent’s name is unknown (see Process Help, Section 65.1 Enter Absent Parent Information).

Note:

A Referral to Child Support form (DCF-F-DWSP 3080) only needs to be completed when the Absent Parent page cannot be completed in CWWCARES Worker Web.

BadgerCare Plus Note: While IM agencies are to continue referring the following individuals who are receiving BadgerCare Plus, the CSA’s will be determining on their own which cases will be provided Child Support Services. Not all BadgerCare Plus members will qualify for free Child Support services and be required to cooperate with CSA’s.

The following individuals (including minors) for whom Medicaid is requested or being received, must be referred to the local CSA unless an exception is noted:

A pregnant member who is unmarried or married and not living with their husband. However, pregnant members are not required to cooperate with the CSA during the pregnancy and for an additional 60 days after the last day of the pregnancy and through the end of the month in which the 60th day occurs. The member's eligibility for Medicaid will continue during this period, regardless of the member's cooperation.
A child receiving SSISupplemental Security Income. A program based on financial need operated by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly income to low income people who are age 65 or older, blind, or disabled. only if the parent or caretaker relative requests child support services for the child. Do not sanction this parent or caretaker relative if they do not cooperate with the CSA.
Non-marital co-parents when paternity has not been legally established. This includes a non-marital co-parent even when both parents are in the same home.
Exception: Do not refer parents to the CSA when both parents are in the home and the father is on the child's birth certificate or the father's paternity has been legally established in another state by a court order or by a Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement Form filed with a state agency.
Biological or adoptive parent(s) not living in the household.
Exception: Do not refer to the CSA when the only reason a parent or stepparent is not in the home is because they are in the military.
Married biological parents in the home, but:
1. Child was born prior to their marriage, and
2. Paternity was not established by court action, or the birth was not legitimized after their marriage.

Do not refer people residing in domestic abuse shelters to the CSA. Once a person moves out of a domestic abuse shelter, complete the Absent Parent page in CWW so that the referral is sent to the CSA.

This page last updated in Release Number: 23-03
Release Date: 08/14/2023
Effective Date: 08/14/2023