A study suggests that one in four women happened to be insured through a family member’s plan, but the study also suggests that this coverage could be lost through the divorce process. In fact, it is estimated that 115,000 women will lose their health insurance coverage every year due to a marital dissolution.
Even two years after the divorce is finalized, many women remain without this coverage. The problem is that many life changes allow for a change in a person’s health insurance coverage.
Sometimes this circumstance can be remedied because women are employed and may receive insurance through their job. But even this process can be time consuming, and it can often result in the woman receiving inferior coverage to what she had when she was included in her husband’s policy.
The result is often disastrous. Women will put off going to the doctor because of not having insurance, and often these same individuals suffer health consequences due to this.
We also have to be careful in concluding that the Affordable Care Act will remedy this situation. It will take some time for the provisions of the act to be implemented, and, as in any political process, certain measures may provide more protection than others.
For anyone concerned about their needs following a divorce, they should consult with an experienced family law attorney from the locality in which they live. These attorneys can make certain that all of a couple’s needs are covered in the event of a divorce.
The decisions made during a divorce are too significant for individuals to go it alone.
Source: Yahoo News, “115,000 Women a Year Lose Health Insurance Through Divorce,” by Shari Roan, Dec. 14, 2012
- For property division questions related to divorce, please visit our Texas law firm’s web page.