On January 19, 2023, the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) issued updates to the National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) and the instructions for the form. OCSE is the federal government agency that oversees the national child support program. It maintains the NMSN, which is the official form child support agencies send to employers to ensure that children receive healthcare coverage when available and required as part of a child support order.
The NMSN has two parts, Part A and Part B. Part A is the Notice to Withhold for Health Care Coverage and includes the employer response form and instructions. Part B is the Medical Support Notice to the Plan Administrator and includes the Plan Administrator response form and instructions. Significant changes to the NMSN Parts A and B form and instructions include:
- Added sample Part A
- Increased fields for children from six to eight
- Converted instructions into a stand-alone attachment
- Added addendum to Part B
Additional questions and answers on the State Medical Support Contacts and Program Requirements matrix are available on OCSE's website.
Employers and plan administrators must review Part A of the NMSN and either return a completed Part A to the issuing agency or forward Part B to the appropriate plan administrator (if different from the employer) within 20 business days after the date of the NMSN.