Envisioning your life after divorce can be hard to do in the midst of the process. Making plans for matters such as health insurance after the divorce may not be your top priority. True, you do have more important things to plan for, such as what will happen to the family home and where your child will live. Post-divorce insurance plans are important to plan for, however, because the cost of insurance may affect other areas in your divorce, such as child support and alimony.

It is important to become aware of your options for insurance after the divorce. You may need to find new coverage if you were on your spouse’s policy or if they were on yours. If you or your child can stay on your spouse’s policy, you will need to discuss the cost and how long the coverage will last. Typically, children can remain on a parent’spolicy after a divorce, but the spouse may be dropped. If this is the case, you may be eligible for COBRA or miniCOBRA coverage. Not everyone will be eligible, and duration periods are typically limited to 36 months. You may need to discuss the cost of health insurance if you need to find your own coverage through the insurance marketplace or with your own employer. Necessary health insurance costs for your child will affect Massachusetts child support. The cost of health insurance for the spouse in need can be added to his or her alimony amount, if applicable. You and your spouse can decide if insurance coverage will affect your alimony agreement, but a judge would add it to the alimony amount if it were at a reasonable cost.

Speak with an experienced Massachusetts divorce mediator if you have questions about including provisions for health insurance in your separation agreement. A good mediator can evaluate your case and inform you of the options you have for getting health insurance covered and what this extra cost may affect. There may be many options available to you for continuing insurance coverage after the divorce. A mediator can help you with figuring out which option is best for you and including it in your separation agreement.

If you have questions about provisions for health insurance in your divorce, contact Mediation Advantage Services for experienced family law help.

Law Office of Polly Tatum can assist you and your spouse with negotiating an agreement over health insurance after the divorce. Based in historic Worcester with a satellite office in Northboro, MA, our firm serves all cities and towns throughout Massachusetts and Worcester County including, Auburn, Paxton, Leicester, Sutton, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Westboro, Northboro, Southboro, Holden, Sterling, Princeton, Worcester, Charlton, Millbury, Dudley, Spencer, Brookfield, Sudbury, Natick, Framingham, Hopkinton, Milford, Blackstone, Leominster, Fitchburg, Acton, Jefferson, Barre, Oakham, Cambridge, Newton, Marlboro, Lancaster, Bolton, and Hudson. Call our office at (774) 366-3711, fill out our online form, or email us at info@mediationadvantage.com today to schedule your Complimentary Mediation Success Planning Session. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter or download our free e-book for more information regarding divorce in Massachusetts.