Divorce and Health Insurance – Get your own Plan in your own terms
People don’t get married expecting it to end in divorce. Unfortunately, life happens and sometimes it just can’t be avoided. When you are going through a divorce, there are many things that need to be decided. One thing that often gets missed, especially when there are not children involved, is health care coverage. Whether you are covered by your spouse’s insurance policy that is offered through his job or you purchased insurance from a private company, you will need to make arrangements regarding your health care coverage. Here are a few tips for handling health insurance while going through a divorce.
This is particularly useful for people who have pre-existing conditions that may have difficulty getting insurance from another provider. Although the premiums for COBRA are expensive, if you are stuck in a corner you can use this option until you are able to secure health insurance through other means. The law also allows spouses, and other family members, to continue to receive coverage for up to three years after a divorce. Join COBRA – COBRA is a federal law that allows employees to retain health care coverage under their employers plan as long as they pay the premium.
Buy Your Own Health Insurance – Check with your current employer to see if you are able to get on the company’s health plan if they offer one. This will probably depend a lot on the timing as most companies have a specified enrollment period where new members can be added to the policy. If this is the case, you can continue on your spouse’s policy through COBRA until you are able to join your company’s plan. If your company does not have insurance, then you can purchase your own individual health policy through a private company. To get the best rate, visit an online health insurance quote site to shop several insurance companies at once.
Divorce Mandated – As an alternative, you can request that your spouse maintain you on their insurance policy especially if you have children. As an alternative, you can request a stipend from your spouse to help pay for insurance that you acquire through other means. For example, if you buy individual health insurance, you can request that your spouse pay half the cost. The best way to invoke this option is to work with a knowledgeable divorce attorney. Going through a divorce can be rough. But if you keep your head on your shoulders and focus on creating a positive outcome, you’ll be able to make it through in one piece.
Financially speaking, you will end up with more money owed than you would have with coverage. Health insurance is about having yourself prepared in case the worst should happen. You never know when you will need to have instant medical help. If you don’t have coverage, then you will end up with bills that you cannot pay. This is a very bad decision since health care coverage is about much more than just having a safety net or peace of mind. It’s not uncommon for someone who can’t afford health coverage to just decide that they will have to do without it. When people are having trouble paying for health coverage, they become jaded and may sometimes even make bad decisions.
Sean L Johnson is a journalist for Health Insurance Buyer a referral service that connects consumers to the insurance carriers that can best fit their wants or special needs. Click on link to access your free phone interview with an underwriter, who will advise on your condition
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