It has been a while since I have added a some new information about men’s divorce, but be certain that I haven’t been slacking in researching new topics and overhauling the divorce newsletter so that it will be available again very soon. But a particular topic has been big news lately, and even though it has not been regularly associated with divorce, I feel that it is something that needs to be addressed.
Let’s face it, Health Insurance is not cheap, and at the risk of getting into some political debate, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. But what about Health Insurance and Divorce? At what point can you look to save some money by taking your soon-to-be ex-wife off of your insurance? Unfortunately there is no definitive answer to this question, but I want to discuss some potential options that are available.
The first thing to cover is what conditions does your health insurance policy require in order to make a change. Some that I have talked to have found out that they cannot even remove someone from their policy without a “Qualified Status Change”, and that doesn’t occur until the divorce is final. I would hope that by the end of this whole process that you or your divorce attorney has already addressed the issue of health insurance and that it is no longer a question. If you are nearing the end of your divorce and it has not been discussed, then I would hope that it should now be at the top of your list. Anyway, if you are not sure what is required in order to remove someone from your health insurance then I would suggest that you contact your provider to find out the specifics.
But let’s say that you find out that you can take her off your health insurance whenever you like. Don’t make a such a hasty decision without first exploring the benefits/consequences. Health insurance can make for a powerful bargaining chip as soon as you start talking about a marriage separation. Everyone can use some type of health insurance, but it is not always something that is readily available. So when discussing the terms of your marriage separation or even your divorce use the health insurance to your advantage.
But even if it was not used properly during the divorce discussions, it is still not a good idea to act without knowing how it can impact the outcome of your divorce. Don’t be surprised if the judge doesn’t think to highly of you taking her off of your health insurance policy until the divorce is final. It doesn’t look good on you if you were to make such a substantial decision without first bringing it up to your divorce attorney or to the judge who is overseeing your case. This is something that could greatly impact your soon to be ex-wife’s livelihood, or, worst of all, her health. And believe me, you do not want to come off looking heartless just because you are trying to save some money.
Overall, the best advice that I can give to you concerning your divorce and your health insurance policy is to wait until it is all finalized before taking action. But if you absolutely feel that something needs to be done before this time then make sure that you bring it up to your divorce attorney, or file your own motion/petition with the judge explaining why it needs to be done. Health insurance is a very hot issue, and decisions concerning coverage should not be made without making sure that it will not have a negative impact on your case.
Note… This isn’t something that should ever need to be stated, but I don’t want to leave anything out. If you have kids, you should NEVER drop them from your health insurance until you are 100% sure that they are covered some other way. Voluntarily putting their health at risk just to save some money is one of the quickest ways to guarantee that you will get slammed in family court and end up getting screwed when it comes to custody and child support.
