C
ALIFORNIA
CHILD
SUPPORT
A
Guide
f
or
Business
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
Revised May 2019
2
California Child Support—A
Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
P.O. Box 419064,
R
ancho
Cordova, CA
95741-9064
www.childsupport.ca.gov
Toll-Free
866-901-3212
C
ontents
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
3
California Child Support—A
Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
T
able
of
Cont
ents
Introduc
tion
–
The
Employer’s
Role
in
C
hild
S
uppor
t
............................................................
5
Contac
t
Inf
orma
tion
..........................................................................................................................
5
1.
Ne
w
Hire
Repor
ting
...........................................................................................................................
6
How
to
Repor
t
New
H
i
r
es
................................................................................................................
6
Multi-State Employers
—
New Hires
...........................................................................................
6
2.
Processing
Income
W
ithholding
O
r
ders
.....................................................................................
7
Processing a IV-D
Income Withholding
Order
....................................................
7
Processing a
Non-IV-D Income Withholding Order
..........................................
8
Calculating an Employee’s/Independent
C
o
ntrac
t
or
’
s
Net Disposable
I
n
c
ome
..........
8
General Guidelines
for
Calculating Child Support
Deductions
..................
10
Income
Withholding
Orders
from
Other
Stat
es
.....................................................................
11
Employee
T
e
rmination
....................................................................................................................
11
3.
Remitting
P
a
yments
.......................................................................................................................
12
Electronic
P
a
yments
........................................................................................................................
12
Using EFT
—
ACH
.........................................................................................................
12
Using EFT
—
ACH Debit
or by
Credit
Card
..........................................................
12
Bulk-File
Upload
................................................................................................................................
13
Remitting
by
Check..........................................................................................................................
13
Failure
to
W
ithhold
...........................................................................................................................
14
Non Payment-related Correspondence
or
Documents
......................................................
14
4.
National Medical
S
uppor
t
Notice
(NMSN)
................................................................................
15
National Medical Support Notice
P
r
oc
edur
es
........................................................................
15
Employers That Process Their Own Health Care
Enr
ollments
...........................................
15
Employers That Use a
Third party
to
Process Health Insurance Enr
ollment
................
16
Employers That Do
Not
Offer Health Care Insurance
..........................................................
16
Termination
or
Cancellation
of
Health Care
C
o
v
e
rage
........................................................
17
5.
California
C
hild
S
uppor
t
T
erminology
.......................................................................................
18
6.
General
C
hild
S
uppor
t—F
requently
Asked
Q
uestions
.......................................................
22
7.
National Medical
S
uppor
t
Notice—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
..................................
26
8.
Appendix
/
F
orms
..............................................................................................................................
28
4
California Child
Support-A
Guide for Business
California
Department
of Child Support Services
California
Department of
Child Support Services
Introduction
—
The Employer’s Role in Child
Support
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
5
California Child Support—A
Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
T
he
Emplo
ye
r
’
s
Role
in
Child
Support
As a key partner
in
California’s
child
support program, employer
responsibilities
regarding
child
support
fall into
five
ar
eas:
•
Repor
t
newly hired
employees
•
Pursuant
to
an
or
der
,
withhold
a
portion of
an employee’s
or independent
c
o
ntrac
t
or
’
s
wages
to
satisfy a
child
support
obligation
•
Pursuant
to
an
or
der
,
enroll an employee’s dependent children
in health
care
insuranc
e
,
if available
•
Remit all
child
support wage
withholding
payments
to the
C
alifornia
State Disbursement
Unit (SDU)
•
Repor
t
terminated
employees
Employers
that
comply
with child
support
laws directly
benefit their
communities
b
y
:
•
Improving
the
financial stability
of families
•
Enrolling dependent children
in
health
insur
anc
e
,
thereby increasing
ac
c
ess
to
preventive health
care
•
Saving taxpayer dollars
- child
support collections reimburse
public
assistance
expenditures
How To
C
o
ntac
t
U
s
The California Department
of
Child Support
Services is here
to
assist
y
ou
.
DCSS
Employer Resource
C
e
nt
er
.
For answers
to
frequently asked
questions
,
program updates and downloadable
documents
,
employers should visit
the
DCSS
Employer Resource Center
at
www.childsupport.ca.gov and click
on the
Employer
tab
.
Local
Child Support
Agencies
.
For
other
questions
not
related
to electronic
payments
or for
issues
on
a specific case being enforced
by
a Local
Child
Support
A
gency
,
contact
the
Local
Child Support
Agency
or
call 1-866-901-
3212.
The SDU Electronic Help Desk. For assistance
making electronic payments
and
all issues
not
related
to
electronic payments
,
contact
the
SDU’s
Electronic
Help
Desk
at 1-866-901-3212 option 1.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
6
California Child Support—A
Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
1. New Hire Repor
ting
1
“Repor
t
all
newly
hired
employees
and
independent
contractors
to the
Employment
D
e
v
elopment
D
epar
tment
”
New H
i
r
e
Reporting
How To Repor
t
New
H
i
r
e
s
Employers must
report
all newly hired and rehired employees and
independent
c
o
ntrac
t
ors
to the
California Employment Development Department
(EDD
).
Although
EDD is a separate agency
from the
Department
of
Child
Support
Services,
information about
newly hired and rehired employees is used
t
o obtain
support
for children.
Repor
t
all newly hired
or
rehired employees
or
independent
c
o
ntrac
t
ors
within
twenty
(20) days
of their
start-of-work
dat
e
.
To
report
a newly hired
or
rehired
emplo
y
ee
,
visit
the
EDD New Hire
Reporting
web
page
,
download
form
DE 34 and fax
it to 916-319-4400.
New Hire Reports can also
be
submitted
by
mail
t
o
:
Employment Development
Department
Document Management
Gr
oup
,
MIC
96
P. O.
Box 997016
West
Sacrament
o
,
CA
95799-7016
To
report hiring
an independent
c
o
ntrac
t
or
,
go to
EDD’s
Independent
C
o
ntrac
t
or
Reporting
web
page
,
download
form
DE 542 and fax
it
t
o
:
916-319-4410.
New Independent
C
o
ntrac
t
or
Hire Reports can also
be
submitted
by
mail
t
o
:
Employment Development
Department
Document Management
Gr
oup
,
MIC
96
P. O.
Box 997350
Sacrament
o
,
CA
95899-7350
Multi-State Employers – New
H
i
r
e
s
Employers
with
employees
in
more
than
one state can register
with the federal
New Hire Program and
report
all new hires
to
a single
stat
e
.
For
details
,
see
the
EDD New Hire
page
.
2. Processing Income
Withholding
O
r
ders
(SDU) as
required
by
federal law
then the
employer may
r
ejec
t
the
IWO
and
return it to the
sender
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
7
California Child Support—A
Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
2
“Employer
wage
withholding
accounts
for
more
than
70% of all
child
support
c
ollec
ted
in
C
alifornia
”
P
r
oc
essing
Income
W
ithholding
Orders
When a
party
is receiving
child
support
services offered
through
a local
child
support
agency and an income
withholding
order (IWO) is
in
plac
e
,
this
is
known
as a IV-D case and is serviced
through
a local (county)
child support
agenc
y
.
(Refers
to
Title IV-D
of the
Federal
S
ocial
S
ecurit
y
A
c
t
at Title 42,
United
States Code sections 651 and
thereafter).
Note:
Per 2007 revision, IWO
replaced Order/Notice
to Withhold
Income
for
Child Support
(Order/Notice).
S
ometimes
,
the
parties may have an IWO
without
seeking services
from the
IV-D
child
support
program.
This is
known
as a Non-IV-D
or
“
p
rivat
e
”
IWO.
After
the court
issues a Non-IV-D IWO,
it
is served
on the obligor
’
s
employer
by the
custodial party
or by
a representative acting
on
his
or
her
behalf
.
In either case,
the
employer’s responsibility is
the
same—to
withhold the
specified
amount
and
remit it to the
California State Disbursement
Unit
(SDU).
Ho
w
e
v
e
r
,
since Non-IV-D orders
do not
originate
within the child support
system,
the
SDU
needs additional
information to
assure
the
payment
is
processed
ac
curat
ely
.
Processing a IV-D Income
Withholding Order
Step
1. Within
10 days
of
receiving an IWO (form OMB 0970-0154
or form
FL-195)
the
employer must
notify the
employee named and
provide
him/her with
a copy
of the
Or
der/Notic
e
,
and a blank Request
for
Hearing Regarding Earnings Assignment
with information and
instruction sheet (form
FL
-450).
Step
2.
The employer must
begin withholding the amount
specified
in the
order
no
later
than the
first pay period occurring 10 days
after
receipt
of the
IWO
.
Step
3.
The employer must
remit the
payment
to the
SDU
within 7 working
days
of the
pay date/date
of withholding
.
The employer may
charge
the
employee an administrative fee
of up to
$1.50
for
each
payment
made per
the
employee’s
IWO
.
Notes:
If the
IWO is
not
directed
to the
California State Disbursement
Unit
2. Processing Income
Withholding
O
r
ders
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
8
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
“All child
support
wage
withholding
payments
must
be sent
to the
C
alifornia
State
Disbursement
Unit”
Effective 05/31/2012:
If the
employer receives a document
to withhold income
that
is
not
issued
on the
OMB-approved IWO
form
as
required
by
federal
law
- known in
California as FL-195
- then the
employer must
r
ejec
t
the document
and
return it to the
sender
.
Processing a Non-IV-D Income
Withholding Order
Step 1.
When
the
employer receives an OMB 0970-0154
or
FL-195
Income
Withholding
for
Suppor
t
or
der
,
the
employer should keep
the original
form
and send a copy
to the
California State Disbursement
Unit.
T
his
can
be
done
by
mail
,
eFax
or
F
ax:
California State Disbursement
Unit
P. O.
Box 980218
West
Sacrament
o
,
CA
95798-0218
Efax
to: casdu-elec
tr
onichelpdesk@dcss
.ca.go
v
OR Fax
number
:
888-587-5471
Step
2.
The SDU
will
respond
to the
employer’s submission
by return mail
indicating
a case
number
that
must
be
included
on
all payments
for
that
case
.
Step
3.
The employer can
then remit
all current and
future child support
income
withholding
payments
to the
SDU. The case
number
should
be
included
with
each
payment.
Employers may charge
the employee
an administrative fee
of up to
$1.50
for
each payment made per
the
employee’s
IWO
.
Notes
:
S
ome
employees have more
than
one
child
support
obligation
and
it is
possible
for
an employee
to
have
both
a IV-D and Non-IV-D
obligation,
as
well
as IWOs
from other
stat
e
s
.
Employers whose employees have
multiple IWOs
are advised
to
call 1-866-901-3212
for
assistance calculating
the amount
t
o
withhold
.
If the
IWO is
not
directed
to the
California State Disbursement
Unit
(SDU) as
required
by
federal law
then the
employer may
r
ejec
t
the
IWO and
return it
t
o
the
sender
.
Effective 05/31/2012:
If the
employer receives a document
to withhold income
that
is
not
issued
on the
OMB-approved IWO
form
as
required
by
federal
law
- known in
California as FL-195
- then the
employer must
r
ejec
t
the document
and
return it to the
sender
.
2. Processing Income
Withholding
O
r
ders
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
9
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
“Bonuses
,
commissions,
tips
and
gratuities
count as
part
of
an
emplo
y
ee
’
s
net disposable
income”
Calculating an Employee’s
or
Independent
C
o
ntrac
t
or
’
s
Net Disposable
Income
Generally
,
the
maximum
amount that
can
be withheld to
satisfy an IWO is
50%
of
an employee’s
net
disposable
income
.
Net disposable income is
the wages
left
after
taxes and mandatory
fees, includes
but
is
not limited to:
income
tax
es
,
S
ocial
S
ecurit
y/M
edicar
e
(FICA),
unemployment
insuranc
e
,
union
dues
and
mandatory retirement deductions
.
Wages counted
as
part of
an employee’s
or
independent
c
o
ntrac
t
or
’
s
income
include salary,
tips
,
bonuses
,
c
ommissions
,
g
r
atuities
,
vacation pay
,
retirement
pay
,
and regular
o
v
er
time
.
Other wage sources
include:
•
Payments due
for
services
of
independent
c
o
ntrac
t
ors
,
interest,
dividends
,
r
e
nts
,
ro
yalties
,
r
esiduals
,
patent
rights
,
or
mineral
or other
natural
r
esour
ce
rights
•
Payments
or
credits due
or
becoming due
as a result
of written or oral
contracts
for
services
or
sales
whether denominated
as
wages
,
salar
y
,
commission,
bonus
,
or otherwise
•
Payments due
for w
o
rkers
’
compensation temporary disability
benefits
•
Any
other
payments
or
credits due
or
becoming due
,
regardless
of source
The value
of
housing
,
rent or other
benefits paid
in
lieu
of
additional
wages
should
be
converted
to
dollar amounts
for the
purpose
of
calculating income
.
In California, when an employee’s
or
independent
c
o
ntrac
t
or
’
s
net disposable
income is inadequate
to
meet his/her
child
support obligation,
child support
takes precedence over medical
c
o
v
e
rage
.
The example
on the following
page shows a sample calculation
of
C
alifornia
child
support income
withholding
deductions
.
It
is
important to remember
that other
states may calculate
child
support
diff
er
ently
.
2. Processing Income
Withholding
O
r
ders
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
10
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
General Guidelines
f
o
r
C
alcula
ting
C
alif
ornia
Child Suppor
t
Deductions
Priority
of Deductions
1.
Current
child
support, family support,
and/or
spousal
support
2. Monthly
health premiums
and/or other
current medical
support
3.
Payment
of
ordered support
arrears
4.
Any remaining ordered
amounts
Calculating
50% of Net
Disposable
Income
Net disposable income is
the net amount
after making mandatory
deductions
such as
stat
e
,
f
ederal
,
and
S
ocial
S
ecurit
y
taxes, Medicare taxes, state
disability
insuranc
e
,
union
dues and mandatory
retirement. Although the
C
onsumer
Credit
P
r
ot
ec
tion
A
c
t
allows
withholding of
greater
than
50%
of the net
disposable income
in
certain circumstanc
es
,
all California Department
of Child
Support
Services wage assignments are
limited to
50% maximum
withholding
.
Example:
Gross
Income
$4,882.00
Federal Income
T
ax
-496.00
State Income
T
ax
-109.00
FICA
-313.00
Medicare
-73.00
SDI
-50.00
Mandatory
Retirement
-150.00
Net Disposable
Income
$3,691.00
Multiply
b
y
50%
x
0.5
Available for
Deduction $1,845.00
Multiple Orders without Medical
Deductions
Example:
Current Child
Support
Child Support
A
rr
ears
Order
A: $150.00 + $50.00 = $200.00
Or
der
B:
$100.00
+
$25.00
=
$125.00
Total for Both
Orders $325.00
REMIT
THE FULL OBLIGATION FOR EACH
ORDER
TO
THE
CALIFORNIA STATE DISBURSEMENT
UNIT
2. Processing Income
Withholding
O
r
ders
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
11
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
Income
Withholding
Orders
from
Other
States
IWOs
from other
states must
be
honored and
the
payment sent
to the
addr
ess
identified in the
IWO.
F
ollow the
law
of the
issuing state
regarding:
“When
an
employee
with
a child
suppor
t
obligation
leav
es
your
c
ompan
y
,
notify the
local
child
support
agency as
soon
as
possible”
•
Duration and
amount of child
support, current and
arrears
•
Medical
support
terms
•
Where
to remit
payments
,
and
•
Payment
of
fees and costs charged
(if
any)
by the child
support
enforcement
agenc
y
,
issuing court,
or
custodial par
t
y
’
s
attorney
F
ollow the
law
of the
employee’s principal place
of
employment
regarding:
•
When
to begin withholding
•
When
to remit
payments (this can
be from 1 to 7
days
after
payday)
•
Mandatory
deductions
•
Maximum
amount to be withheld (within
Consumer Credit
P
r
ot
ec
tion
Act
limits)
•
How
to
allocate
withholding
across
multiple child
support
orders
•
Administrative fee
that
employer is
permitted to
char
ge
,
and
•
Other
t
e
rms
and conditions
that
may
be
set
by
state
law
If
an employee has
multiple
IWOs
totaling
more
than
50%
of
his/her
net
disposable
income
,
the
employer should call
the
state
that
issued
the
IWO
or
call 1-866-901-3212
for
assistance
.
Bonus
Payments
Repor
t
bonus
or other lump
sum payments
prior to
payout
by
contacting
the
Department
of
Child Support
Services
at
lumpsumr
esponset
eam@dcss
.ca.go
v
or 916-464-6640.
Employee
T
e
rmination
When an employee
with
a
child
support
obligation through
a local
child
support
agency (LCSA ) leaves your
c
ompan
y
,
notify the
LCSA as soon as
possible
.
The IWO includes a
Termination Notice
that
can
be
sent
to the
L
CSA.
Note:
Employers SHALL NOT use
an Order/Notice
as grounds
for
refusing
t
o
hire a person
or for taking
disciplinary action against an
emplo
y
ee
.
Employ
ers
could face
civil
penalties
if they do
so
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
12
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
3. Remitting
P
ayments
3
“Electronic
payments
ar
e
faster,
mor
e
accurate
and
less
expensiv
e
to
pr
oc
ess
”
Remitting
Payments
Under state and federal
la
w
,
employers are required
to remit
all California
child
support income
withholding
payments
to the
California State
Disbursement
Unit
(SDU). This includes any
child
support
payments
the
employer
may
be
currently sending
to
individuals
(see
“Processing a Non-IV-D
Income
Withholding
Or
der
”
page
7).
For assistance
in
redirecting payments
from
individuals
to the
SDU,
employers
are advised
to
call 1-866-901-3212 option 1
for
assistance
.
Electronic
P
a
yments
California businesses are required to submit payments electronically to the
SDU per California Family Code section 17309.5.
An employer who is required to withhold and, by electronic fund transfer, pay
tax pursuant to Section 19011 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or Section
13021 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, shall make child support
payments to the State Disbursement Unit by electronic fund transfer.
The SDU offers
two
electronic payment
options:
Electronic Funds Transfer
(EFT)
via Automated
Clearing House
(ACH)
Cr
edit
:
This service allows employers
to
instruct
their
financial
institution
to
automatically transmit
child
support
payments
,
along
with child support
income
withholding
data, using
the
ACH
net
w
o
rk
.
Detailed
information on
ACH
credit
electronic
child
support
payments
can
be found in the
California State Disbursement
Unit
EFT
Employer
Information
Guide
at: www.childsupport.ca.gov
.
To enroll
in
EFT
or for
assistance, call
the
SDU
Electronic Help Desk
at 1-866-901-3212 option 1.
EFT
-
ACH
Debit or by Credit
C
a
r
d
:
This service allows employers
to make
payments
by
electronic
debit from
a checking
or
savings account,
or with a
Visa
or
MasterCard
credit
car
d
.
To enroll
in
EFT
go to
www.childsupport.ca.gov
click
on the
Employer
tab
and
selec
t
E-Pay.
Once
enr
olled
,
employers
can
make payments using
the
E-Pay
feature
or by
using
the
SDU’s
Integrated
V
oic
e
Response (IVR)
telephone
system
by
calling
1-866-901-3212 option 1.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
13
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
3. Remitting
P
ayments
By using E-Pay
or the
IVR,
the
employer can
inform the
SDU
of the amount of
support
that
has been
withheld for
each
emplo
y
ee
.
The employer
then
authorizes
the
SDU
to
either
debit
this
amount from the
designated
checking
or
savings account,
or to
place
the amount on
a Visa
or
MasterCard
credit
car
d
.
Bulk-File
Upload
The SDU also offers Bulk-File
Upload capabilities
to remit
payments
for
employers
with multiple
employees/independent
c
o
ntrac
t
ors
with income
withholdings
.
The
bulk
upload
option
is free and
no
sof
t
w
ar
e
application
is
needed
.
To utilize this payment
option,
a user
will
create a
text file with employee-
related payment details such
as employee’s
name
,
P
a
r
ticipant
ID,
payment
amount
and
dat
e
.
Save
the text file to
your desktop
to
use again
updating only
related
information with
each submission. For assistance, call
1-866-901-3212
option 1 or
e-mail
at casdu-elec
tr
onichelpdesk@dcss
.ca.go
v
.
Remitting
by Check for Out of State Employers
Out of state employers can send checks
to
this address
only
:
California State Disbursement
Unit
P.O.
Box 989067
West
Sacrament
o
,
CA
95798-9067
If
an employer has more
than
one employee
with
a
child
support
obligation,
the
payments may
be
combined
into
a single
check
.
When paying
by
check
,
regardless
of the
number
of
emplo
y
ees
,
it
is essential
to
include
the
f
ollowing
information for
each
employee:
•
Employee name
/Independent contractor
name
•
Child Support
Enforcement
(CSE) case
number
•
Employee’s Social
S
ecurit
y
Number
•
Date money was
withheld
(pay
date)
•
The
amount withheld for
each
employee
•
Include a
company contact
name and phone
number
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
14
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
3. Remitting
P
ayments
“Employers
who
fail
to withhold
the
amount(s)
specified
on
an
Income
Withholding
Order may
be
found liable
for
the
full
amount
of
the support o
w
ed
,
plus a
fine”
Failure
to Withhold
Employers
who fail to withhold the
amounts
as specified
on the
IWO may
be
found
liable
for the full amount of the
support
o
w
ed
,
plus a
fi
ne
.
Under
certain
circumstanc
es
,
a
willful
failure
to withhold
is punishable
by contempt of court.
In addition,
the court
may order payment
by
electronic funds transfer
from the
employer’s bank account
if the
employer has
willfully
failed
to withhold the
required
support.
In addition, an employer
who
fi
r
e
s
,
disciplines
,
or
refuses
to
hire an
employee
based
upon
an income
withholding
may
be
assessed
additional
civil
penalties
.
Non Payment-related Correspondence
or Documents
Do
not
include correspondence
or
documents
that
are
not
related
to an
income
withholding payment.
This
will
delay
the
correspondence
in getting
t
o
the
c
orr
ec
t
plac
e
.
S
end
non
payment-related correspondence
or documents
to the
requesting local
child
support
agency (LCSA)
at its
specified
addr
ess
.
If
the
address
of the
LCSA is
unknown,
go to
www.childsupport.ca.gov and click
on
“
C
ontac
t
my
Local
Office” or
call 1-866-901-3212 and
sa
y
“
emplo
y
e
r
”
when
prompt
ed
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
15
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
4.
National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)
4
“By
law
,
every
order for
child
support
must
include a
health
insuranc
e
provision”
Na
tional
Medical
Suppor
t
Notice
(NMSN)
By
la
w
,
every order
for child
support must include
a health insurance
provision.
If
an employee
or
independent contractor
is a noncustodial parent and
eligible
for
health
insuranc
e
,
his/her children must
be
enrolled
in the
employer’s
health
insurance plan whenever
the
noncustodial parent is ordered
to
provide
health
insurance
c
o
v
e
rage
.
Health insurance must
be
provided
to the
emplo
y
ee
’
s
children even
if the
employee declines his/her
own
personal health
c
o
v
e
rage
.
Medical
support
orders may
be for
a specific dollar
amount
included
on the
IWO
or
as an order
to
provide health insurance
that
employers are noticed
via
a document
titled:
The National Medical
Support Notice
(NMSN) (form
OMB
0970-0222). The NMSN is a standardized federal
form that
all state IV-D
child
support programs must
use. The NMSN
may accompany an IWO
or it
may
be
sent
separat
ely
.
National Medical Support Notice
P
r
oc
edur
es
Step
1. Within
10 business days
of
receiving an NMSN,
the
employer
must
notify the
employee named and provide
him/her with
a blank Request
and
Notice
of
Hearing Regarding Health Insurance Assignment (form FL-478)
with
the
instructions (form
FL-478-INFO) which
will be
included
in the
NMSN
packet.
Step
2. Within
20 business days
of
receiving an NMSN,
the
employer
must
forward instructions
to
enroll
the
employee’s children
to the
health care
plan
administrat
or
.
Step
3. Within
40 business days,
the
employer must furnish
the
Local
Child
Support
Agency a description
of the
coverage
a
v
ailable
,
along
with
any
forms
required
to
activate coverage
or
claim
benefi
ts
.
This
information
should
be
submitted
on the
Health Insurance Information
(DCSS 0054)
form
which
will be
included
in the
NMSN
packet.
Employers That Process Their Own Health Care
Enrollments
F
ollow the
P
a
r
t
A,
“Instructions
to
Employ
e
r
”
and
P
a
r
t
B
“
,
“Instructions
to Plan
Administrator”
of the
NMSN (form OMB 0970-0222). Enroll
the
children
in the
employee’s health insurance plan
or in
an insurance plan
that
is available
within
the
premium
limit
stated
on the notic
e
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
16
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
4.
National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)
•
Note
that
medical insurance enrollment
has
priority
over dental
insurance
enrollment.
•
If the
insurer requires
that the
employee
be
enrolled
in
health
insurance
in
order
to
provide insurance
for the
employee’s children, enroll
both the
employee and
children.
•
Withhold the
insurance premium
from the
employee’s wages and
forward
the
payment
to the
insurance
c
ompan
y
.
•
Complete
the
Plan Administrator
Response
or
Health Insurance
Information
(DCSS 0054) and
return it to the
local
child
support
agency (LCSA)
that sent
the
NMSN
within
40 business days
from the
date
of the notic
e
.
•
Forward health plan membership cards and literature
to the
LCSA. T
he
LCSA
will
forward
them to the
child’s custodial par
t
y
.
Employers That Use a Third
P
a
r
t
y
to
Process
Health
Insurance
Enrollments
•
Forward
the
entire
P
a
r
t
B
of the
NMSN and
the
Health
Insurance
Information
(DCSS 0054)
to the
health plan benefits administrator
within 20
business days
from the
date
of the notic
e
.
•
Do
not return
any health care forms
to the
L
CSA.
•
Advise
the
health insurance provider
to
forward health plan
membership
cards and literature
to the
LCSA listed
on the
NMSN. The LCSA
will forward
them to the
child’s
custodian.
Employers That Do
Not
Offer Health Care
Insurance
•
Mark
box 1 or 2 on the
Employer Response
form
and
return to the
L
CSA
within
20 business days
from the
date
of the notic
e
.
•
If
health care coverage is
not
available because
the
employee is
no longer
employed
with
your
c
ompan
y
,
complete either
the
employer response
with
box 3
marked
or
the Termination
of
Benefits/Employment Notice (DCSS
0114, included
in the
NMSN packet) and
return it to the
LCSA
within 20
business
day
s
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
17
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
4.
National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)
“Notify the
local
child
support
agency within
10
business days
of
any lapse in
health
care
c
o
v
e
r
age
”
Termination
or
Cancellation
of
Health Care
C
o
v
e
rage
Notify the
local
child
support
agency (LCSA)
within
10 business days
of any
lapse
of
health care
c
o
v
e
rage
,
including:
• The reason
for the
lapse
in
c
o
v
e
rage
• Whether
the
lapse is
temporary
•
If the
lapse is
t
emporar
y
,
the
date coverage
will resume
• The effective date
of the
lapse
in
c
o
v
e
rage
This
information
should
be
submitted
to the
LCSA
on
the Termination
of
Benefits/Employment Notice
(DCSS
0114) which is included
in the
NMSN
packet.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
18
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
5.
C
alifornia
Child Support
T
erminology
5
C
alif
ornia
Child
Support
Terminology
Arrears: Support,
including
interest when applicable
,
that
has
not
been paid
by
the
due
dat
e
.
Child Support Guidelines: A standard
method for
setting
the child support
obligation, based
on the
income
of both
parents and
other
fac
t
ors
as
determined
by
state law (California Family Code sections 4050 and
thereafter).
CCPA
-
Consumer Credit
P
r
ot
ec
tion
Act:
A Federal law that, among
other
pr
ot
ec
tions
,
limits the amount that
may
be withheld from
earnings
.
Child
Support:
Amounts required
to be
paid under a judgment, decr
ee
,
or
or
der
;
whether
t
emporar
y
,
fi
nal
,
or
subjec
t
to
modification,
for the
support
and
maintenance
of
a
child or
children, which provides
for
any
or
all
of the following:
monetary support, health insurance
c
o
v
e
rage
,
arrearages, and may
include
interest
on
delinquent
child
support
obligations
.
C
our
t
Or
der
:
A decision
or ruling
issued
by
a
court of
la
w
.
A
court
order
related
to child
support
may specify
how
much,
how
often, and
how long
an
obligor
must pay support, and whether an employer must
withhold
support
from the
obligor
’
s
wages
.
CP
-
Custodial
P
a
r
t
y
:
Person
with
primary custody
of
and responsibility
for a
dependent child
.
Customer
C
onnec
t
(1-866-901-3212): The California Department
of Child
Support
S
e
r
vic
es
’
automated phone
line
.
Available 24 hours a
day
.
Employ
ers
needing
to
reach an LCSA
or to
speak
with
a representative can reach
one
Monday
though
Friday
during
regular business
hours
.
DCSS
-
Department
of
Child Support
Services: The State
of
C
alifornia
department responsible
for
oversight
of the
state IV-D
Child Support
P
rog
ram.
Child Support
Program services are delivered
through
52 county and
regional
child
support
agencies
.
Disposable Earnings/Disposable Income: The
portion of
an employee’s
earnings
that
remain after deductions required
by
law (e.g., taxes,
union
dues
,
etc.)
that is
used
to
determine
the amount of
an employee’s pay subjec
t
to
a
garnishment,
attachment,
or withholding
or
der
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
19
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
5.
C
alifornia
Child Support
T
erminology
EDD
-
California Employment Development Department:
The
Employment
Development Department
(EDD) is
the
agency
to
which all new hires must
be
r
epor
t
e
d
.
EDD
promotes California’s economic
growth by providing
services
t
o
keep
emplo
y
ers
,
emplo
y
ees
,
and
job
seekers
c
ompetitiv
e
.
The EDD
administers
the
Unemployment
I
nsuranc
e
,
Disability
I
nsuranc
e
,
and Paid Family
Leave
pr
og
rams
,
and provides employment and
training
programs under
the federal
Workforce Investment
A
c
t
of
1998.
A
dditionally
,
the
EDD collects
various
employment payroll
taxes
including the
Personal Income
T
ax.
FEIN
-
Federal Employer
Identification
Number
:
Unique
nine-digit number
assigned
to
all employers
by the
Internal
Revenue
S
e
r
vic
e
(IRS),
which must
be
used
in
numerous
tr
ansac
tions
,
including submitting
data and responding
t
o
requests relevant
to child support.
FL-195 (OMB 0970-0154): Income
Withholding
Order/Notice For
Support
is
issued
by the
LCSA
or
a judicial officer
to inform
an employer
of
an
emplo
y
ee
’
s
child
support
obligation.
Prior
to
Oc
t
ober
26, 2007
it
was called
the
“Order/
Notice To
Withhold
Income For Child
Suppor
t
.
”
FTB
-
Franchise Tax Board: The Franchise Tax Board is responsible
for
administering
the
Personal Tax and
the
Corporation
Tax. Tax
program
activities
include taxpayer assistance and tax
return pr
oc
essing
,
filing
enforcement,
audit
and tax collection
functions
.
The program also includes
the
collection
and
distribution of
voluntary contributions
t
o
,
and
on
behalf of
,
certain
non-pr
ofi
t
charitable
or
ganizations
.
Income or Wage
Withholding:
When an employer deducts a
child support
payment directly
from
an employee’s paycheck
to
satisfy
the
employee’s
court-
ordered support
obligation.
IWO
-
Income
Withholding
Order (OMB 0970-0154): The federal
form that
replaces
the
Order/Notice
to Withhold
Income
for
Child
Support.
The order
or
notice issued
by
a
court or
administrative
child
support
agency and served
on
an employer whose employee has a
support
obligation.
The
form
specifies
the
amount to be
deducted
from
an employee’s income based
on the
frequency
in
which an employee is
paid
.
IV-D Services: When a
party
is receiving
child
support
services offered
thr
ough
a LCSA. Refers
to
Title IV-D
of the
Federal
S
ocial
S
ecurit
y
A
c
t
at Title 42,
United
States Code sections 651 and
ther
eaf
t
e
r
.
IVR
-
Integrated
Voice Response
S
y
stem:
A
user-pr
ompt
ed
,
automated
phone
system, available 24 hours a
day
.
5.
C
alifornia
Child Support
T
erminology
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
20
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
LCSA
-
Local
Child Support
A
gency
:
The California county
or
regional
entit
y
responsible
for providing
IV-D services. California
child
support
program
services are delivered
through
a network
of
52 county and regional
child
support
agencies
that
offer direct
services
to the
public
,
including providing
assistance
in
locating a parent; establishing
pat
e
rnit
y
;
establishing
,
modifying
and enforcing a
court
order
for child
support; and establishing
,
modifying and
enforcing an order
for
health
c
o
v
e
rage
.
Medical
Support
Order (also
known
as a Health Insurance Order): An
order
requiring the
parent
to
provide health insurance coverage
if it
is available
at
a reasonable
cost.
Health insurance coverage is presumed
to be available
if
an employer has a
group
health insurance
plan. It often
also includes
an
order
for both
parties
to
share
the
cost
of
uninsured medical expenses
for the
dependent
children.
NCP
-
Noncustodial Parent: The parent
who
does
not
have primary custody
of
and responsibility
for
a dependent
child
.
NMSN
-
National Medical
Support
Notice:
The
form
sent
to
employers
by
the
LCSA
ordering
the
employer and
its
health plan administrator
to enroll a
noncustodial parent’s dependent children
in
health insurance coverage
when
such coverage is available
through the
employer and is required
as
part of a
child
support
or
der
.
Non-IV-D:
Individuals
who
are
not
receiving IV-D services
from
a LCSA
but
have served a private income
withholding
order
on
an
emplo
y
e
r
.
Non-IV-D
payments are received and disbursed
by the
California State
Disbursement
Unit
(SDU), as
required
by
federal
la
w
.
Notice
to Withhold
Income
for
Child
Support:
See Income
Withholding
Or
der
.
Order/Notice
to Withhold
Child
Support:
This
form
was revised
on October
26, 2007 and is
now
referred
to
as
the
Income
Withholding
Order/Notice
F
or
Support
(IWO
).
PRWORA
-
Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity
Rec
onciliation
A
c
t
of 1996:
Federal legislation
that
provides a number
of
requirements
for
emplo
y
ers
,
public
licensing
agencies
,
financial
institutions
,
as
well
as
state
and federal
child
support enforcement
agencies
,
to
assist
in the
location
of
noncustodial parents and
the
establishment, enforcement, and collection
of
child support.
SDNH
-
State
Dir
ec
t
or
y
of
New Hires: A database maintained
by
each
stat
e
,
which contains
information on
newly hired
emplo
y
ees
.
Employers are
required
5.
C
alifornia
Child Support
T
erminology
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
21
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
to
submit new hire data
to the
SDNH
within
20 calendar days
of the
hire
dat
e
.
In California, this is operated
by
EDD.
Multi-state employers (those
who do
business and hire workers
in
more
than
one state) have additional options
on
where
to report
new hire
information.
SDU
-
State Disbursement
Unit:
The single state
entity
responsible
for
collecting and processing all employer
child
support income
withholding
payments
,
including
those
from
private support
or
ders
.
UIFSA
-
Uniform
I
n
t
erstat
e
Family
Support
Act:
Laws
enac
t
ed
in
each
state
to
establish and enforce
child
support obligations
in
interstate
cases [when
a
noncustodial parent lives
in
a
different
state
from
his/her
child(ren).]
Wage Assignment:
See Income
Withholding
Or
der
.
Wage
Withholding
Or
der
:
See Income
Withholding
Or
der
.
6. General
Child Support—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
22
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
6
G
ener
al
Child
Support
F
r
equen
tly
Ask
ed
Questions
Q:
Which
child support
income
withholding
payments do I send
to
the SDU?
Payments
for
all
child
support income
withholding
orders
that
originate
in
California must
be remitted to the
California SDU. Payments can
be made
electronically
at www.childsupport.ca.gov by
selecting
E-Pay
or by
mailing check/money order payments
to
this address
only
:
California State Disbursement
Unit
P. O.
Box 989067
West
Sacrament
o
,
CA
95798-9067
Q:
How does
remitting all
income
withholding
payments
to
the SDU
benefit
my
business?
There is
no
need
to
keep track
of multiple
addresses
for child support
agencies
.
The chance
of
lost payments is minimized and postage costs
are
reduced
with
electronic payments
.
Multiple
payments (payments
for
more
than
one employee) can
be
combined
into
a single
transaction.
Q:
What happens
if
I need
to
make programming
or
other changes
to my
company’s
workflow in
order
to
make
elec
t
ronic
payments?
For assistance,
contact
the
SDU Electronic Help Desk
at 1-866-901-3212
option 1.
Q:
How do I make payments using the
website?
Visit
the
E-Pay
section
on the
DCSS
web site
www.childsupport.ca.gov and
click
on
”E-P
a
y
.
”
Q:
How do I handle lump sum payments such as bonuses,
c
ommissions
,
benefits, and severance
payments?
Employers are encouraged
to
call 1-866-901-3212
for
guidance
when they
know that
an employee
will be
receiving a
lump
sum
payment.
F
or
employers
with
IV-D IWOs,
the
local
child
support
agency (LCSA)
will issue
an Order/Notice
to Withhold
Income
for the month in
which
the employee
will
receive
the
bonus
,
to withhold part of the lump sum.
6. General
Child Support—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
23
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
Q:
May the IWO’s lump sum box be used
for
recurring lump
sums?
No
.
An employer may check
the lump
sum
box in addition to
either
the
“
o
rig
inal
”
or
“
amended
”
IWO box,
but the lump
sum
box
may
not be
used
for
recurring lump
sums
.
Q:
Am I required
to
send my income
withholding
payments
electronically?
If
you pay your tax
or
employment obligations
to the
California
F
r
anchise
Tax Board
or the
Employment Development Department
by
Electronic
F
und
Transfer
(EFT),
then by
la
w
,
you must also
remit child
support
income
withholding
payments
to the
SDU
by
EFT
.
Detailed
information on
ACH
credit
electronic
child
support
payments
can
be found in the
California State Disbursement
Unit
EFT
Employer
Information
Guide
.
Q:
What do I do
with
payments I used
to
send directly
to
the custodial
par
t
y?
Do I need
to notify
the custodial
party that future
payments
will
come
from
the SDU?
A
letter will be
sent
from
DCSS
to the
custodial par
t
y
,
notifying them of the
change and explaining
that
all
child
support income
withholding payments
must
be
sent
to the
SDU
for disbursement.
Payments formerly sent directly
to the
custodial party
will
need a
case
number
to
ensure
prompt
and accurate pr
oc
essing
.
To
obtain
a
case
number
,
call
the
SDU
at
1-866-901-3212. The case
number
must
accompany all
future
payments
.
Q:
Should non payment-related correspondence
or
documents be
included
with
an IWO payment mailed
to
the
C
alifornia
State Disbursement
Unit?
No
.
For IV-D cases,
correspondence should
be
sent
to the
Local
Child
Support
Agency
(LCSA) case
w
o
rker
.
For Non IV-D cases,
correspondence
should
be
sent
to
whoever is listed
in
the
“
C
ontac
t
Information” section
of
the
IWO you
r
ec
eived
.
Q:
The
Order/Notice
doesn
’
t
have a judge’s signature. Do I
still
have
to comply
with it?
Is
it
based
on a court
order?
Yes.
The Order/Notice has been a federally required
form
since January
1,
2000 and is used
in
all support
cases
in
all stat
e
s
.
The signature
of
a
judicial
officer is
not
required when
the
Order/Notice is sent
by
a LCSA.
T
he
ongoing child
support order
is taken
from the
most recent
court
or
der
.
An
arrears payment
on
an Order/Notice may
be
based
on
a
court
or
der
,
but the
LCSA also has
the authority to
administratively set an
arrears
payment.
Note:
Employers SHALL NOT use
an Order/Notice
as grounds
for
refusing
t
o
hire a person
or for taking
disciplinary action against an
emplo
y
ee
.
Employers could face
civil
penalties
if they do
so
.
6. General
Child Support—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
24
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
Q:
What
if
the name
and/or
S
ocial
S
e
curit
y
number on the Order/Notice
do
not
match my employee?
C
o
ntac
t
us
at
1-866-901-3212
to
check
if
there is an error
in the
number
or
name
,
or if
this could
be
a case
of
mistaken
identit
y
.
Q:
May I
allow
an employee
to
pay child support directly
to
the SDU as long
as
I
know the payments are being
made?
No
.
The employer must comply
with the
Or
der/Notic
e
.
Q:
What do I do
if
the employee does
not
have sufficient earnings
to satisfy
the Order/Notic
e?
Prioritize deductions
in the following
or
der
:
•
First,
to
current support, family support
and/or
spousal
support.
•
S
ec
ond to
current
monthly
health premiums
and/or other current
medical
support.
•
T
hird
,
to
payment
of
ordered support
arrears
•
Fourth,
to
any remaining ordered
amounts
.
Q:
What do I do
if
the employee does
not
have sufficient earnings
to satisfy
multiple
Orders/Notic
es?
Prioritize
deductions
,
prorated
in proportion to
each
total amount
o
w
ed
,
in
the following
or
der
:
•
First,
to
current support, family support
and/or
spousal
support.
•
S
ec
ond to
current
monthly
health premiums
and/or other current
medical
support.
•
T
hird
,
to
payment
of
ordered support
arrears
•
Fourth,
to
any remaining ordered
amounts
.
Q:
S
ome
of
my employees only work
part time.
What do I do
if
50%
of their
net disposable earnings
is less
than
the
withholding
amount
for
the
pay
period?
California law requires
that
you
only withhold up to
50%
of your emplo
y
ee
’
s
net
disposable earning each
month
(this
withholding limit
varies
from
stat
e
to state). If
your employee voluntarily
agrees
to
pay
mor
e
,
he
or
she
should
first contact
the court or if they
have an open case
with
a local
child
suppor
t
agency
(LCSA),
that
office
will
work
with the
employee
to make
arrangements
to
pay
mor
e
.
Q:
An employee is an independent
contractor.
Can I garnish his/her
w
ages?
Yes.
Independent contractor
wages are subjec
t
to
an Order/Notice
t
o
W
ithhold
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
25
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
Q:
What do I do
if
an employee has
other non-support
income
attachments?
Except when an
IRS tax
lien
was served
prior to the
date
the child support
order was
ent
e
r
e
d
,
federal and state laws require
child
support
withholding
to
take
priority
over all
other
income
attachments
.
You must
withhold the
required
amount
as
long
as
the amount
does
not
exceed 50%
of the
employee’s
net
disposable earnings
.
An Order/Notice
for child
support
has
priority
against any attachment, execution
or other assignment.
Q:
Can
an Income Withholding Order
(IWO) be
terminated over the
telephone?
No
,
an IWO
form
must
be
used
for
IWO
termination.
Q: How does an employer update their employer company information?
Maintaining accurate employer information with the California
Department of Child Support Services benefits employers by
ensuring notices are sent to the proper location and preventing
issuance of duplicate notices. You can update your company
information here:
https://childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-
center/
7.
Medical Support—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
26
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
7
Na
tional
Medical
Suppor
t
Notice
F
r
equen
tly
Ask
ed
Questions
Q:
What
if
health insurance is available
but
the
payroll
deduction
for the
premiums, when combined
with
the employee’s
child support
obligation,
exceeds 50%
of
the employee’s net disposable
earnings?
Check
box
#5
on
P
a
r
t
A
of the
National Medical
Support Notice
(NMSN)
and
return it to the
issuing agency
within
20 business
day
s
.
Unless you are
notified
other
wise
,
cash
support
always has
priority over
healthcare coverage
premiums;
ho
w
e
v
e
r
,
the
custodial party
has
the
option of
choosing
to
receive health coverage over
child support.
Q:
What
if
I offer medical insurance and receive the NMSN,
but
my
employee,
has declined the
insur
anc
e
?
Noncustodial parents may decline health insurance
for
themselv
es
,
but
they
must
still
provide
it for their children.
The employee does
not
have
t
o
be
involved
in the
enrollment pr
oc
ess
.
On
the
signature
line of the
enrollment
f
o
rms
,
simply
writ
e
“per court
order – copy
attached
.
”
The employee may need
to
enroll
in
health coverage
or
change plans
in
order
to
make
the
employee’s children eligible
for
health
c
o
v
e
rage
.
Q:
What
will
happen
if
the employer does
not
comply and enroll the
children?
If
medical coverage is available and your organization fails
to
enroll
and
send
in
coverage and
mat
e
rials
,
the court
may
find the
employer
in
contempt.
The resulting penalties can include a
fi
ne
.
In addition,
any
employer
who willfully
fails
to
comply
with the
NMSN is liable
for the
amount
incurred
in
health care services
that would
otherwise have
been
covered.
Q:
What
if
the employee’s dependent children live
in
another
state?
C
o
ntac
t
the
LCSA and verify
that the
children live out-of-stat
e
.
If
so,
check
to
see
if
your health insurance provider ex
t
ends
coverage
to out-of-state
r
esidents
.
If
so,
the
dependent children should
be
enr
olled
.
If
health care coverage is
not
“accessible”
to
children
living outside
California, check
item
#2
of the
NMSN Employer Response
(P
ar
t
A)
and
return it to the
L
CSA.
7.
Medical Support—Frequently
Asked
Q
uestions
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
27
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
Q:
What
if
the employee’s dependent children are already covered by the
non-
custodial parent
but
under a private plan—or under a current
spouses
plan?
The employer must comply
with the
NMSN
until
receipt
of
a
court
order
or a
notice
from the
LCSA
indicating
coverage may
be
t
e
rminat
e
d
.
Q:
When should I terminate
children
’
s
health care
coverage?
Continue health care coverage
until
you are
notified by the
LCSA,
indicating
coverage may
be
terminated
or upon
receipt
of
a newly
filed court
or
der
.
Q:
What
if
the children are covered under
Medi-
C
al?
Medi-Cal is
not
considered a substitute
for
private health care
c
o
v
e
rage
.
The employer must comply
with the
NMSN
or other court
or
der
.
Q:
What
if
the employee terminates
employment?
When an employee
with
a
child
support
or
medical support
obligation
leaves your company
or
is
t
e
rminat
e
d
,
notify the
issuing LCSA
within
10 business days
of
any lapse
in
health insurance coverage
for the minor
child(ren). Provide
the termination
date and employee’s last
known
addr
ess
.
If
you
know the
name
and/or
address
of the
employee’s
new
emplo
y
e
r
,
please provide this
as
w
ell
.
This
information
should
be
submitted
to the
LCSA
on
the Termination
of
Benefits/Employment
Notice
(DCSS
0114) which
will be
included
in the
NMSN
packet.
Child support/medical support income
withholding
orders remain
in effect
until further notic
e
,
so
the
employer should keep
the
income
withholding
order and
the
NMSN,
in the
event
the
employee returns
to w
o
rk
.
Also
,
if the
employee returns
to w
o
rk
,
the
employer must
report the
employee
as
a
new hir
e
,
to the
Employment Development
Department.
Q:
What
if
I need
to
send a COBRA
letter
or
other
notification to
the
custodial
party,
but
do
not
have his/her
address?
If
you
don’t
have
the
custodial par
t
y
’
s
addr
ess
,
send correspondence
t
o
the
LCSA and
the
LCSA
will
forward
it to the
custodial par
t
y
.
Q:
I sometimes receive duplicate documents
from
the LCSA
for
the
same
employee’s
child support
case. How can I reduce
these?
The LCSA and
the
California State Disbursement
Unit
(SDU)
receive
information on
active
child
support
cases
from
several
databases
.
If you
receive
what
appear
to be
duplicate documents
,
please
contact
the
LCSA
t
o
have
the
duplicate files
delet
ed
.
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
28
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
8.
A
p
pendix/F
orms
8
APPENDIX
/
FORMS
C
o
ntac
t
Information
DCSS
home
page
www.childsupport.ca.gov
Assistance
with
electronic
payments
SDU Help Desk
— 1-866-901-3212 option 1
DCSS
Employer Resource
C
e
nt
er
www.childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-center/
Employer
child
support
F
A
Qs
www.childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-
center/employer-faqs/
General
child
support
F
A
Qs
https://childsupport.ca.gov/faq/
Employer medical
support
F
A
Qs
https://childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-center/bonus-termination-
reporting/#HealthCare
Update Employer Information
https://childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-center/
Subscribe
to
E-Update employer
e-newsletter
https://childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-center/
General
child
support
publications
https://childsupport.ca.gov/publications/
DCSS
online feedback
form
https://childsupport.ca.gov/customer-service/
E-Pay
-
make a payment
— 1-866-901-3212
https://childsupport.ca.gov/employer-resource-center/employer-
payment-information/
California State Disbursement
Unit
(SDU)
—
1-866-901-3212
option 1
www.casdu.com/CAS_SDU/
C
o
ntac
t
a Local
Child Support
Agency
(LCSA)
—
1-866-901-3212,
Sa
y
“
emplo
y
e
r
”
when
prompted or https://childsupport.ca.gov/find-my-local-agency/
Questions
about
processing Income
Withholding
Orders
—
Customer
C
onnec
t
—
1-866-901-3212,
Sa
y
“
emplo
y
e
r
”
when prompted or
https://childsupport.ca.gov/customer-connect/
C
alif
ornia
Depar
tmen
t
of
Child Suppor
t
S
e
r
vic
es
29
California Child Support—A Guide for Business
California Department
of
Child Support
S
e
r
vic
es
8.
A
p
pendix/F
orms
California Employment Development Department
(EDD), New Hire
Reporting
http://www.edd.ca.gov/Payroll_Taxes/New_Hire_Reporting.htm
California Franchise Tax Board
(FTB),
business
information
http://www.ftb.ca.gov/businesses/index.shtml
Federal Office
of
Child Support
Enf
or
c
ement
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/
Fo
r
m
s
FL-195
or
OMB
0970-0154:
Order/Notice
to Withhold
Income
for Child
Support
FL-196: How
to
complete
the
Order/Notice
to Withhold
Income
for Child
Support
OMB-0970-0222: National Medical
Support Notice
(NMSN)
