What should I know about health insurance and divorce?

When you divorce, there is a range of factors you must think about. It is easy to overlook some important aspects.

WebMD notes that you want to pay attention to your health insurance situation. Depending on your situation, you may need to shop around for new insurance.

If you get your health insurance coverage through your spouse, this will change after the divorce. You need to act during the process to ensure you do not lose coverage. You do have a few options about what you can do to try to keep the coverage active.

Settlement

You could ask your spouse to continue providing you with coverage as part of your divorce agreement. If you get spousal support, this could factor in. However, you will need to ask for this. You may also have to negotiate to get your spouse to continue to offer you coverage. You will also need to think ahead and outline the details of this obligation, such as how long the spouse must provide coverage and what happens if he or she loses coverage.

COBRA

You might be able to qualify for COBRA. This allows you to keep your coverage for up to 36 months. However, it is only for employer-based health insurance, and once you go on COBRA, you have to pay the full cost, including the employer portion. It can be quite expensive. It also may not be an option, depending on your situation.

Private policy

You could also find your own insurance policy. You might be able to get one through your employer or check the marketplace for options. Typically, this will cost you more than it would be going through an employer because you will not have the contribution or group discount. However, securing private insurance may be your only option to stay insured after a divorce.