Domestic Diversions

2004 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual (effective October 1, 2004):
3.07 (C) Ordinary Health Care Expenses
(1) Ordinary health care and medical expenses include the payee’s co-payments, deductibles, uninsured, and other health care-related costs for children eligible for support in this case. Routine remedial care items are not “ordinary” expenses and are covered in Subsection 3.07(A)(3).
(2) Every support order should set an annual ordinary health care expense amount to cover the qualifying payee expenditures within a calendar year. The payment amount should be apportioned according to the terms of Subsection 3.07(A)(5). The payer’s share of ordinary expenses (rounded to the nearest cent) payment should normally be ordered paid as part of the regular support payment. The recipient’s share of ordinary expenses should be directly contributed by the recipient.
(3) Ordinary Health Care Expense Amounts
(a) On average, families routinely spend $289 per year per child on ordinary medical expenses.
(b) The annual ordinary health care expense amount restarts every calendar year and continues with the support obligation or until further order of the court.
(c) For the purpose of setting medical child support obligations, the amount corresponding to the appropriate number of children listed in the Ordinary Health Care Expense Average Table is presumed to be the amount that will be spent. However, amounts may be added to compensate for higher uninsured known or predictable expenses (e.g., orthodontia, special medical need, ongoing treatment, uninsured children, etc.).

Ordinary Health Care Expense Averages
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(4) Ordinary Expense Accounting
(a) The support recipient maintains the annual ordinary health care expense amounts (Subsection 3.07(C)(2) and (3)) to reimburse the children’s eligible expenditures (Subsection 3.07(C)(1)).
(b) All expenditures are considered made in proportion to each parent’s percentage of income as established in the order.
(c) It is presumed that the set amount for ordinary health care expenses will be spent and the recipient will not have to routinely provide proof of expenditure for ordinary medical expense amounts. (Note: An
accounting showing that the established annual ordinary health care expense amount was exceeded is needed to seek reimbursement of extraordinary expenses.)
(d) Amounts may be prorated for periods during which they are in effect. To prorate amounts for partial months, see section 4.05(C).
(e) All qualifying payer health care expenses should be divided as extraordinary expenses.