A Washington State divorce will only affect your health insurance plan if you receive health insurance through your spouse. Family health insurance plans are valid for dependents only, and once a divorce is finalized, you are no longer considered a dependent of your spouse. Therefore, it is vital that you form a plan for continuing your health insurance coverage immediately after your divorce is final.
There are a number of health insurance options available to you after a divorce, though many come with significant expense:
- Sign on to your own employer's health insurance plan.
- Sign up for COBRA benefits.
- Sign up for a private individual insurance plan.
- Ask your ex to pay for your health insurance costs as part of the divorce settlement.
It is important to realize that any gap in your health insurance coverage could result in higher payments and other complications. It is also important to note that applying for COBRA benefits is a temporary solution that may last for no longer than three years.
How Will Divorce Affect My Children's Health Insurance Plan?
How divorce will affect your children’s health insurance coverage depends on what type of coverage they have currently. However, in all divorces in which children are involved, it is vital that the issues of who is responsible for this expense and how this coverage will continue in the future are discussed and settled during the divorce process.
If one spouse provides health insurance benefits for the rest of the family and the other spouse does not have independent coverage, it is advisable that a provision is included in the divorce that the children will continue to have coverage or that the other spouse will be reimbursed for the expense of coverage.
The worst-case scenario is if your spouse agrees to cover your children’s health insurance expenses but then does not follow through with that agreement. In these cases, you may need to sue your ex for contempt of court.
Are you worried about the continuing health care for you or your children after a divorce, or are you having difficulty with an ex-spouse who is not complying with his or her agreement to provide health insurance coverage to your kids? You may need the assistance of a Seattle family law attorney. Contact Bellevue divorce attorney Molly Kenny today at (425) 460-0550.
