Insurer to permit enrollment, when

454.700. Insurer to permit enrollment, when — duties of employer — garnishment of income permitted, when. — 1. In any case in which a parent is required by a court or administrative order to provide medical coverage for a child, under any health benefit plan, as defined in section 454.600, and a parent is eligible through employment, under the provisions of the federal Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) or the provisions of section 376.892, or for health coverage through an insurer or group health plan, any insurers, including group health plans as defined in Section 607(1) of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, offering, issuing, or renewing policies in this state on or after July 1, 1994, shall:

(1) Permit such parent to enroll under such coverage any such child who is otherwise eligible for such coverage, without regard to any enrollment season restrictions;

(2) Permit enrollment of a child under coverage upon application by the child's other parent, the family support division, the MO HealthNet division, or the tribunal of another state, if the parent required by a court or administrative order to provide health coverage fails to make application to obtain coverage for such child;

(3) Not disenroll or eliminate coverage of a child unless:

(a) The insurer is provided satisfactory written evidence that such court or administrative order is no longer in effect; or

(b) The insurer is provided satisfactory written evidence that the child is or will be enrolled in comparable health coverage through another insurer which will take effect no later than the effective date of the disenrollment; or

(c) The employer or union eliminates family health coverage for all of its employees or members; or

(d) Any available continuation coverage is not elected or the period of such coverage expires.

2. In any case in which a parent is required by a court or administrative order to provide medical coverage for a child, under any health benefit plan, as defined in section 454.600, and the parent is eligible for such health coverage through an employer doing business in Missouri, the employer or union shall:

(1) Permit such parent to enroll under such family coverage any such child who is otherwise eligible for such coverage, without regard to any enrollment season restrictions;

(2) Enroll a child under family coverage upon application by the child's other parent, the family support division, the MO HealthNet division, or a tribunal of another state, if a parent is enrolled but fails to make application to obtain coverage of such child; and

(3) Not disenroll or eliminate coverage of any such child unless:

(a) The employer or union is provided satisfactory written evidence that such court or administrative order is no longer in effect; or

(b) The employer or union is provided satisfactory written evidence that the child is or will be enrolled in comparable health coverage through another insurer which will take effect not later than the effective date of such disenrollment; or

(c) The employer or union has eliminated family health coverage for all of its employees or members.

3. No insurer may impose any requirements on a state agency, which has been assigned the rights of an individual eligible for medical assistance under chapter 208 and covered for health benefits from the insurer, that are different from requirements applicable to an agent or assignee of any other individual so covered.

4. All insurers shall in any case in which a child has health coverage through the insurer of a noncustodial parent:

(1) Provide such information to the custodial parent or legal guardian as may be necessary for the child to obtain benefits through such coverage;

(2) Permit the custodial parent or legal guardian, or provider, with the custodial parent's approval, to submit claims for covered services without the approval of the noncustodial parent; and

(3) Make payment on claims submitted in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection directly to the parent, the provider, or the MO HealthNet division.

5. The MO HealthNet division may garnish the wages, salary, or other employment income of, and require withholding amounts from state tax refunds, pursuant to section 143.783, to any person who:

(1) Is required by court or administrative order to provide coverage of the costs of health services to a child who is eligible for medical assistance under Medicaid; and

(2) Has received payment from a third party for the costs of such services to such child, but has not used such payment to reimburse, as appropriate, either the other parent or guardian of such child or the provider of such services, to the extent necessary to reimburse the MO HealthNet division for expenditures for such costs under its plan. However, claims for current or past due child support shall take priority over claims by the MO HealthNet division.

6. The remedies for the collection and enforcement of medical support established in this section are in addition to and not in substitution for other remedies provided by law and apply without regard to when the order was entered.