About QMCSOs/NMSN

What is a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO)?

A QMCSO is a medical child support order (MCSO) that Creates or recognizes the right of an alternate recipient to receive benefits for which a participant or beneficiary is eligible under a group health plan or assigns to an alternate recipient the right of a participant or beneficiary to receive benefits under a group health plan; and is recognized by the group health plan as “qualified” because it includes information and meets other requirements of the QMCSO provisions.


What is a National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)?

A NMSN is a standardized MCSO that is used by State child support enforcement agencies to enforce medical child support obligations.

Typically child support agencies send NMSN to employers to ensure that children receive health care coverage when it is available and required as part of a child support order.


Who is a Participant?

A Participant is a person (usually an employee of the Plan sponsor) who is eligible to participate in the Plan, even if he/she is not currently enrolled in the Plan. A Participant also includes a person who is not eligible to participate in the Plan because he/she has not yet satisfied an applicable waiting period.


Who is an Alternate Recipient?

An Alternate Recipient must be a child (including an adopted child) of a Participant.