After you get divorced, it is likely your children will spend some time living with both you and your ex-spouse, in accordance with your child custody arrangements. One of the issues you’re going to need to address with your ex is how your children will get health insurance coverage.
The choices you make will likely depend on if either of you have group health coverage through your employer. Here’s a quick look at what to consider.
If both parents have group health coverage
If both parents have group health coverage through their employer, your child will be covered no matter which parent they’re with. These coverage plans could be considered the “primary” and “secondary” plans, the latter of which could cover any costs not covered by the former. Simply decide which parent’s plan will be considered the primary plan—it’ll be the one with better overall coverage.
If one parent has group health coverage
If only one parent has employer-sponsored health coverage, that parent will likely cover the children on their health plan, and the other parent will likely need to purchase a healthcare plan of their own, or get COBRA insurance coverage.
If neither parent has employer-sponsored coverage
If neither parent has employer-sponsored coverage, you will need to negotiate responsibility for insurance coverage for the children as part of your divorce. If you need to purchase insurance, both parents could share the cost and share in co-pays, or one parent could take responsibility for the insurance and the costs of that get deferred in other aspects of the divorce and asset distribution.
You might consider purchasing through the private market, or you can get insurance through the Affordable Care Act and the public health insurance marketplace. If your child has a pre-existing condition, the ACA will likely be the best, most affordable route for insurance coverage for your family.
For more information about how health insurance is handled in divorce and how you can ensure your children continue to be covered, contact an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
