divorce and health insurance

[tmj1624]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Montana
Can my wife requist that I stay on here health insurance after we divorce

[Ohiogal]

Originally Posted by tmj1624

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Montana
Can my wife requist that I stay on here health insurance after we divorce

She can request it but the company most likely won't allow it. You can pay for COBRA however for approximately 18 months.

[penelope10]

Originally Posted by Ohiogal

She can request it but the company most likely won't allow it. You can pay for COBRA however for approximately 18 months.

I believe that Cobra extends to 36 months in the case of a divorce. OP can google cobra--(don't remember the website and I'm feeling lazy today) On that site there is also a phone number to call---the rep can give the OP further insight into term, cost etc). Used to be the cost was 102% of the insurance (The administrator was allowed to charge a 2% fee for handling the billing etc. for the Cobra). Don't know if that still stands are not for the cost.....

[nextwife]

Cobra is outrageously expensive. You should be shopping now for a individual plan, or see if there is a trade organization in your field in which you can buy coverage under a group plan. The employer plan will not allow you to stay covered at the current cost once you are no longer a spouse.

[cbg]

I must disagree with some of the responses here.

It is not even remotely unusual for an employer to continue the coverage of a divorced spouse. Employers and their insurance companies are very much aware that court orders frequently require one spouse to cover a divorced spouse, and write their plan documents accordingly.

I would be very surprised indeed if the employer did not have a provision to cover a divorced spouse as an eligible dependent. I have managed employer-sponsored group plans for almost 30 years in multiple states, and I have never once seen a plan without such a provision.

I don't have any problem agreeing that a policy will only cover one spouse; either a divorced spouse or a current. But it would be the exception rather than the rule if there were no provision to cover a divorced spouse.

[nextwife]

Nobody said they can't be covered - what was stated was that they can't usually be covered at spousal rates.

[cbg]

Yes, they can, and frequently are.

I am not talking about their being covered on COBRA. I am talking about their continuing as a dependent on the employee's plan. I promise you that there are not two sets of rates; one for spouses and one for former spouses. They would be covered at the same rate as a current spouse would be.

[nextwife]

And at whose expense do these ex spouses get the employer-supplemented price for their health insurance?

Ultimately, by paying the other, actual employees LESS than they would otherwise get. So basically, our salaries are reduced to give ex spouses a deal on their health insurance. Lovely. . .

[cbg]

I can't even begin to figure out how you are getting that employees' salaries are being lowered by not having special, higher rates for ex-spouses. It does not affect salaries at all. What are you talking about? Why does it make a difference?

[LdiJ]

In case anyone is interested, Obama's overall economic stimulous plan includes a new provision for COBRA to be covered 65% by the government for 9 months...this was passed into law.

Based on the wording of the law, it might very well apply to ex-spouses who are being covered under COBRA.

There are tons of other interesting provisions that effect tax....ie Hope education credit renamed and extended for 4 years instead of two, a 3rd child being allowed for EIC (but in a limited way). The expanded first time homebuyer's credit is HUGE.

[cbg]

The COBRA subsidy applies only to those who are involuntarily terminated.