Domestic Relations Section
Court of Common Pleas of Adams County
123 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325
COLLECTION OF UNREIMBURSED MEDICAL EXPENSES
Effective April 1, 1999, the Domestic Relations Section policy on collection of
unreimbursed medical expenses in accordance with Support Guidelines put into effect by
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Rule 1910.16-6©, is as follows:
Medical expenses are identified as including insurance co-payments and deductibles
and all expenses incurred for reasonably necessary medical services and supplies, including
but not limited to surgical, dental and optical services and orthodontia. Medical expenses do
not include cosmetic, chiropractic, psychiatric or psychological services unless specifically
directed in the order of court. An annual limitation may be imposed when the burden to the
payor would be otherwise excessive.
The first $250.00 per year per child of medical expenses is built into the basic
child support obligation reflected in the Support Guidelines. Only medical expenses which
exceed this amount are subject to allocation between the Plaintiff and Defendant. This also
applies to spousal support cases. Therefore, the Plaintiff is expected to meet the first
$250 per year for medical expenses for each child or for themselves if they are receiving
spousal support. It will be the responsibility of the Plaintiff to maintain record of the first
$250 per year in medical expenses and be able to provide to the defendant documentation
at the time he/she begins to pursue collection of unreimbursed medical expenses that
exceed the $250 deductible for that calendar year. NOTE: In the event the parties have
split custody of multiple children (ex. Two children; one child resides with plaintiff one
child resides with defendant), the custodial parent for each child is responsible for the
first $250 of unreimbursed medical expenses for the child in his/her direct care prior
to seeking collection of the other party’s share of the expenses for said child.
It is the responsibility of the Plaintiff to utilize any and all forms of health
insurance coverage or medical assistance to meet expenses before a bill is forwarded to the
Defendant for payment. When a client obtains the “bottom line” on what is owed in out-ofpocket expenses, (s)he shall send expenses quarterly to the other party for payment. In
return, the Defendant will remit payment directly to the Plaintiff within 30 days. Bills are
to be submitted to the Defendant via certified mail. If the bill(s) is not paid within the 30
day time frame, please submit to the Domestic Relations Office the Medical Bill Submission
Form along with receipt of service on the defendant. In filing the Medical Bill Submission
Form, you are required to document and attach with the form all medical expenses and
medical insurance claims. Domestic Relations is not responsible for sorting through bills
and receipts, nor for tallying expenses; therefore,the official DRS Medical Bill
Submission Form must accompany any documentation submitted for collection. The DRS
office will review the submitted information and forward to the defendant along with notice
to allow 14 days to dispute. If payment is not remitted within the 14 days, the amount owed
by the defendant will be added to the case balance by Court Order. The arrears payment
and wage attachment will be increased to pay on this expense.
Official Note: If the Court determines that the plaintiff acted reasonably in
obtaining services which were not specifically set forth in the order of support, payment
for such services can be ordered retroactively. Also, the Court may order payment outside
of the timeframes above in rare exceptions.

In the event the submission for reimbursement is determined to be a financial
hardship upon the Defendant, it may be the Court’s discretion to add the expense to
the financial balance of the case as a medical obligation and increase the monthly
ordered amount to include payment of this expense.

Both parties must maintain copies of ALL transactions and correspondence for their
own files.

PARTIES MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF ANY MEDICAL BILLS AND/OR RECEIPTS TO THE
OTHER PARTY NO LATER THAN MARCH 31st OF THE YEAR AFTER THE FINAL BILL WAS
RECEIVED. Allocation of unreimbursed medical expenses for which documentation
is not provided in a timely manner shall be at the discretion of the Court.

When submitting medical bills for reimbursement the party must provide
verification to the DRO that the medical bill(s) has been paid or payment
arrangements have been arranged prior to consideration by the DRO.

It is upon the discretion of the Enforcement Officer and or Conference Officer
to modify the reimbursement procedure if necessary.