As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
 1. “Accessible” means any of the following, unless otherwise provided in the support order:

 a. The health benefit plan does not have service area limitations or provides an option not subject to service area limitations.
 b. The health benefit plan has service area limitations and the dependent lives within thirty miles or thirty minutes of a network primary care provider.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 252E.1

  • Cash medical support: is a n obligation separate from any monetary amount a parent is ordered to pay for uncovered medical expenses pursuant to the guidelines established pursuant to section 598. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Child: means a person for whom child or medical support may be ordered pursuant to chapter 234, 239B, 252A, 252C, 252F, 252H, 252K, 598, 600B, or any other chapter of the Code or pursuant to a comparable statute of another state or foreign country. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • child support recovery unit: means unit as defined in section 252B. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • coverage: means providing and paying for the medical needs of a dependent through a health benefit plan. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Department: means the department of human services, which includes but is not limited to the child support recovery unit, or any comparable support enforcement agency of another state. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Dependent: means a child, or an obligee for whom a court may order health care coverage pursuant to section 252E. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Health benefit plan: means any policy or contract of insurance, indemnity, subscription, or membership issued by an insurer, health service corporation, health maintenance organization, or any similar corporation or organization, any public coverage, or any self-insured employee benefit plan, for the purpose of covering medical expenses. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Insurer: means any entity, including a health service corporation, health maintenance organization, or any similar corporation or organization, or an employer offering self-insurance, that provides a health benefit plan, but does not include an entity that provides public coverage. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Medical support: means either the provision of health care coverage or the payment of cash medical support. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • National medical support notice: means a notice as prescribed under 42 U. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Obligee: means a parent or another natural person legally entitled to receive a support payment on behalf of a child. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Order: means a support order entered pursuant to chapter 234, 252A, 252C, 252F, 252H, 252K, 598, 600B, or any other support chapter, or pursuant to a comparable statute of another state or foreign country, or an ex parte order entered pursuant to section 252E. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Plan administrator: means the employer or sponsor that offers the health benefit plan or the person to whom the duty of plan administrator is delegated by the employer or sponsor offering the health benefit plan, by written agreement of the parties. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Primary care provider: means a physician who provides primary care who is a family or general practitioner, a pediatrician, an internist, an obstetrician, or a gynecologist; an advanced registered nurse practitioner; or a physician assistant. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • Public coverage: means health care benefits provided by any form of federal or state medical assistance, including but not limited to benefits provided under chapter 249A or 514I, or under comparable laws of another state, foreign country, or Indian nation or tribe. See Iowa Code 252E.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
 2. “Basic coverage” means health care coverage that at a minimum provides coverage for emergency care, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, physician services whether provided within or outside a hospital setting, and laboratory and x-ray services.
 3. “Cash medical support” means a monetary amount that a parent is ordered to pay to the obligee in lieu of that parent providing health care coverage, which amount is five percent of the gross income of the parent ordered to pay the monetary amount or, if the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 598.21B specifically provide an alternative income-based numeric standard for determining the amount, the amount determined by the standard specified by the child support guidelines. “Cash medical support” is an obligation separate from any monetary amount a parent is ordered to pay for uncovered medical expenses pursuant to the guidelines established pursuant to section 598.21B.
 4. “Child” means a person for whom child or medical support may be ordered pursuant to chapter 234, 239B, 252A, 252C, 252F, 252H, 252K, 598, 600B, or any other chapter of the Code or pursuant to a comparable statute of another state or foreign country.
 5. “Department” means the department of human services, which includes but is not limited to the child support recovery unit, or any comparable support enforcement agency of another state.
 6. “Dependent” means a child, or an obligee for whom a court may order health care coverage pursuant to section 252E.3.
 7. “Enroll” means to be eligible for and covered by a health benefit plan.
 8. “Health benefit plan” means any policy or contract of insurance, indemnity, subscription, or membership issued by an insurer, health service corporation, health maintenance organization, or any similar corporation or organization, any public coverage, or any self-insured employee benefit plan, for the purpose of covering medical expenses. These expenses may include but are not limited to hospital, surgical, major medical insurance, dental, optical, prescription drugs, office visits, or any combination of these or any other comparable health care expenses.
 9. “Health care coverage” or “coverage” means providing and paying for the medical needs of a dependent through a health benefit plan.
 10. “Insurer” means any entity, including a health service corporation, health maintenance organization, or any similar corporation or organization, or an employer offering self-insurance, that provides a health benefit plan, but does not include an entity that provides public coverage.
 11. “Medical support” means either the provision of health care coverage or the payment of cash medical support. “Medical support” is not alimony.
 12. “National medical support notice” means a notice as prescribed under 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(19) or a substantially similar notice, that is issued and forwarded by the department in accordance with section 252E.4 to enforce the health care coverage provisions of a support order. The national medical support notice is not applicable to a provider of public coverage.
 13. “Obligee” means a parent or another natural person legally entitled to receive a support payment on behalf of a child.
 14. “Obligor” means a parent or another natural person legally responsible for the support of a dependent.
 15. “Order” means a support order entered pursuant to chapter 234, 252A, 252C, 252F, 252H, 252K, 598, 600B, or any other support chapter, or pursuant to a comparable statute of another state or foreign country, or an ex parte order entered pursuant to section 252E.4. “Order” also includes a notice of such an order issued by the department.
 16. “Plan administrator” means the employer or sponsor that offers the health benefit plan or the person to whom the duty of plan administrator is delegated by the employer or sponsor offering the health benefit plan, by written agreement of the parties. “Plan administrator” does not include a provider of public coverage.
 17. “Primary care provider” means a physician who provides primary care who is a family or general practitioner, a pediatrician, an internist, an obstetrician, or a gynecologist; an advanced registered nurse practitioner; or a physician assistant.
 18. “Public coverage” means health care benefits provided by any form of federal or state medical assistance, including but not limited to benefits provided under chapter 249A or 514I, or under comparable laws of another state, foreign country, or Indian nation or tribe.
 19. “Unit” or “child support recovery unit” means unit as defined in section 252B.1.