lmyya Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Even though my spouse might not be very nice to me, he is a human being and an unemployed one with a few health issues. And he is the father of my child. Consequently, I want to keep him on my health insurance if possible. Right now my employer covers him as a dependent with, as far as I can tell, little or no extra cost to me. I don't have extra money. And I'm NOT willing to stay married just so that my husband can have health insurance-- though at one point I thought about it. Our relationship is just too unhealthy; and a couple therapists, plus one lawyer and one abuse advocate, have urged me to recognize that he's emotionally abusive-- though I'm trying to examine all that. But I can't stay married to him. His health issues by the way are 1) some dental problems including a couple recent tooth extractions because he lacked dental insurance for years and fears the dentist, 2) sometimes his back goes out on him and leaves him bedridden for a couple days, though he assures me that that is a rare occurrance, and 3) he takes Wellbutrin for depression. So, not terminal cancer or anything, but the kind of things I would hate to just pull out from under him. He's been unemployed for almost a year, and before that, he just had part-time jobs for a few years. Yes, he's college-educated, able-bodied, intelligent, and even extremely likable, but I have several reasons to think that he won't get a job with health insurance any time soon. He refuses to talk about work, ever since he was fired 2 years ago, a thing he described as possibly the hardest thing that ever happened to him. Anyway, he just will not work or discuss work. Either the economy is that terrible, or he has major psychological issues with work, or both. Has anyone dragged out a divorce so that their spouse could stay on their health insurance before it was finalized? If so, were you able to enforce custody and visitation agreements? Alternatively, keeping your ex on your insurance-- is it expensive? Is Cobra the only answer? I am not finding a lot of answers out there. I have to think that at least some people would like the parent of their children to remain insured even after a divorce. Maybe it's just too expensive for most to acquiesce? Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 From Forbes: Can I stay on my ex’s health insurance plan after we divorce? The laws regarding health insurance are straightforward, and the answer to this question can be summed up in a single word: “No.” Once divorced, you cannot stay on your ex’s health insurance –but your children can and probably should (although who will pay the premiums for them could be a topic of discussion). Once the divorce is finalized, you (the non-employee spouse) can qualify for COBRA coverage, but remember: COBRA is temporary and lasts only up to 36 months. If you’re divorcing, my advice would be to get your own health insurance as soon as possible, because if you develop a condition while on COBRA, a new insurance plan may look at that as a pre-existing condition and either not insure you or only do so with much higher premiums. (Of course, the Supreme Court is now scrutinizing Obamacare, so stay tuned. The way health insurance companies view pre-existing conditions may change.) Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I wouldn't drag out a divorce for health insurance unless the issue being battled was life and death like cancer. If it was however I might consider dragging it out for a while until it got awkward. Link to post Share on other sites
Steen719 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I kept my XH on Temporary Continuation of Coverage (through Federal employment) d/t his severe medical conditions - liver transplant. It was very costly and although I have been fighting it, I still may be responsible for his medication co-pays for that year. I would have him see what kind of insurance he is eligible for on his own. It might be cheaper and he will have some incentive to work. I work 2 jobs myself and I have a hard time believing a person who wants to work can't find something to work at. I used the health insurance as a bargaining chip for him not to ask for alimony support. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
lollipopspot Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 And I'm NOT willing to stay married just so that my husband can have health insurance Because of Obamacare, he can get health insurance, even with pre-existing conditions, and even if he is very low income. It may not be the best insurance, but he does not need to be without. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts