Cite as 2015 Ark. 384
SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS
Opinion Delivered October 22, 2015
IN RE SUPREME COURT
COMMITTEE ON CHILD
SUPPORT; ADMINISTRATIVE
ORDER NUMBER 10(III)(g)
PER CURIAM
The Supreme Court Committee on Child Support submitted its report to the court,
including the following recommendations: (1) a proposed revision to Administrative Order
Number 10(III)(g) on health insurance, (2) revisions to the family support charts, and (3)
study of the guideline models.
Regarding the first recommendation, the proposed revision regarding health
insurance is to add the underlined text:
Administrative Order Number 10
....
Section III. Calculation of Support.
....
g. Health Insurance. In addition to the award of child support, the court order shall
provide for the child's health care needs, which normally would include health
insurance if available to either parent at a reasonable cost. Health insurance coverage
shall be considered reasonable if the cost of dependent coverage does not exceed 5%
of the net income of the parent who is to provide such coverage. In applying the 5%
standard for the cost of health insurance, the cost of dependent coverage is the
difference between self-only and self with dependents or family coverage or the cost
of adding the child(ren) to existing coverage.
Cite as 2015 Ark. 384
The purpose of this amendment is to provide an income-based threshold to determine that
the cost of health insurance is reasonable. We approve this recommendation and adopt the
amendment, effective immediately.
The committee advised the court that the study of guideline models, in particular,
consideration of following the national trend and moving from the percentage-of-obligor
income model to an income shares model, is still ongoing. We agree that this study needs
to continue, and we await the committee’s report.
Finally, we decline to make any change to the support charts at this time.
We thank the committee for its report on these recommendations and its hard work
on these important issues.
In re Sup. Ct. Comm. Child Support
Combined Opinion