NY NCP Required To Pay For No-show Doctors Appointment

[digitalsparks]

What is the name of your state? New York

As an involved NCP I recognize I am both morally and legally responsible for providing health care coverage for my son, which I have done unfailingly.

Question 1: Am I legally responsible for paying "no-show" charges for doctor's appointment's made by my son's mother?

It seems she makes an appointment for my son to see the doctor, then doesn't show up, then has the doctor's office bill me.

Question 2: If I am not responible for paying for these "no-shows", then what legal measures can I take to ensure she does not repeat this behavior?

Thanks for your input!

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

What is the name of your state? New York

As an involved NCP I recognize I am both morally and legally responsible for providing health care coverage for my son, which I have done unfailingly.

Question 1: Am I legally responsible for paying "no-show" charges for doctor's appointment's made by my son's mother?

It seems she makes an appointment for my son to see the doctor, then doesn't show up, then has the doctor's office bill me.

Question 2: If I am not responible for paying for these "no-shows", then what legal measures can I take to ensure she does not repeat this behavior?

Thanks for your input!

My response:

Yes, you are because these are medical appointments, and it's not the doctor's fault that the child wasn't presented for examination. But, Momma Bear can't get away with no-shows, either. Teach her a lesson by taking her to Small Claims court, and keep doing it until she gets tired of going to court. With a "string" of these no-shows, you may be able to jump the hurdle required to get to the legal level of "Malice, and/or "Oppression", requiring the court to award you Punitive Damages - - to "teach her an expensive lesson" - - i.e., That she's doing this purposefully to you.

IAAL

 

[nextwife]

May I ask you a question of semantics, IAAL?

IF the fees from the doctors office are not for any medical care being recieved by the child, as they recieved no medical care or services which generated this cost, but rather, an administrative charge or a penalty fee to the CP for blocking a time slot, is the fee truly a "medical expense"?

In an audit, for example, would the IRS disclaim the right to call this a medical expense if one took a medical deduction for it?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

May I ask you a question of semantics, IAAL?

IF the fees from the doctors office are not for any medical care being recieved by the child, as they recieved no medical care or services which generated this cost, but rather, an administrative charge or a penalty fee to the CP for blocking a time slot, is the fee truly a "medical expense"?

MY RESPONSE: "Medical care" is not the measure. The "measure" is medical "purpose", and the doctor's time has a value. Therefore, the "penalty", as you term it, is a valid charge and expense payable by the obligor parent.



In an audit, for example, would the IRS disclaim the right to call this a medical expense if one took a medical deduction for it?

MY RESPONSE: I have no idea what, or how, the IRS would deal with these expenses. That's not a part of my field of expertise.

IAAL

 

[nextwife]

Sorry, I phrased that poorly.

I am trying to determine if service fees for non-medical services are, in fact, a medical expense. I use the IRS as an example because it is a government entity, and was trying to clarify how government entities view service fees billed by doctors offices such as this NCP is describing. In other words, if the billing is NOT for any medical services ir supplies recieved by the child, is this, in fact a medical expense? Or is it a service fee, say, comparable to a bounced check fee some companies add to billing, that is an expense generated by the CP? Example: If a CP paid by some money to a Drs. office by check, and was assessed $50 for a bounced check, would the fee be a "medical expense" to be shared by the NCP simply because it was billed by a doctors office?