Divorce Mediation and Health Insurance

Parties understandably are always concerned about health insurance and what effect divorce or separation will have on that vital component of their lives. First of all, your children will not lose their medical coverage. It makes no difference who is the custodial parent or primary residential parent. Divorce or separation will not affect the cost of such coverage either.

However, in a divorce, one spouse can no longer be covered under the other spouse’s insurance policy. You might ask what if we not divorce but simply legally separate. In the past, this was an avenue to keeping the other spouse insured, but now most employers will not continue to cover a separate spouse. Obtaining insurance can be a daunting prospect. Today though, there are alternatives. One option is COBRA which guarantees thirty-six months of continued coverage under the former spouse’s policy (although at a higher premium). Second, I find Obamacare has made obtaining private insurance much easier and affordable for not only divorcing parents. The bottom line is that fear of lack of insurance is not as daunting a consideration as it might have been in the past.

If you wish to schedule an initial consultation, please contact me at 212-605-0435 or 516-280-3123.