How divorce affects your health insurance?

One of the problems couples contemplating getting divorced have to confront is how to continue availing of health insurance benefits after the divorce.  Sometimes the husband and wife may both have employment, but only one of the spouses has a job that offers health insurance benefits.  Then, in other cases, one of the spouses is unemployed but is covered by the family health insurance benefits provided by the other partner’s employer.  When such couples go in for a divorce, they cannot be considered to be family members and therefore the spouse who was dependent on the other partner for getting health insurance benefits can no longer be covered by their partner’s health insurance policy.

Since health insurance is essential for everyone to ensure they can cope with the rising costs of health care, such couples need to find a way out so that both of them and their children can continue to enjoy health insurance coverage.

Health insurance is not always cheap. In cases where the cost of getting a separate health insurance policy for the dependent spouse after a divorce would be too high, they have a way to continue the benefits without any additional cost.  And that is to put off the divorce for some time and opt for a separation agreement instead.  Thus the couple can stay married and continue to be covered by the same insurance plan despite being separated.  The separation could help them prolong the period of enjoying health insurance benefits cost- effectively for some more time.  This way the partner without independent health insurance gets some time to work out a more permanent solution.

But separation could pose some problems, like for instance, the working partner’s tax filing status could be affected.  Then, implementing a separation agreement is difficult in some states.  In other states, one spouse may be permitted to get insurance benefits provided by the separation agreement for around a year or two and later legally seek other types of financial relief applicable after divorce.  However, you’ll have to take the advice of a licensed divorce attorney on these issues.  An experienced attorney would also be able to suggest other options to couples who absolutely want to get divorced without any delay.

For example, attorneys often suggest COBRA coverage to eligible couples.  This is a federal law that gives eligible individuals covered under any health insurance policy the right to continue coverage for a specific time period, but at their own cost.  For example, let’s say you have got a divorce and formerly you were covered under the family health insurance coverage provided by your ex-spouse’s employer, then the employer would be bound to provide you with COBRA coverage even after the divorce for a fixed time period.

The COBRA coverage would be under the same policy as before.  However, your coverage would now not be family, but individual, and instead of the employer, you would be required to pay the premium for that individual policy.  Very often, the unemployed spouse or the one earning a lesser income opts for COBRA coverage and then gets their spouse to pay for the coverage for a fixed period after the divorce.  This gives the spouse without independent coverage time to either get a job with coverage or earn enough money to pay for their own policy.

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Affordable Dental Insurance Plans

Dental treatments are very costly and understandably dental insurance is extremely beneficial for coping with the spiraling costs of dentists’ services.  But with a whole range of dental insurance plans available today, it is not easy to make the right choice and pick the one that will best serve your individual needs or that of your family.

Before concluding from which plan you could get the best deal and the most benefits, you have to compare the different dental insurance plans and make a thorough analysis of what they offer.  To make this easier for you, we’ve listed a few important factors to consider before making your final selection.

Compare Dental Insurance Plans Online:

A reliable broker or agent could recommend a number of options that could be a good match for you.  But an online comparison of different available dental insurance options would certainly be a better way of doing in-depth research regarding, benefits, flexibility and price.  Insurance plans are extremely varied to begin with, and the internet is a valuable tool for comparing them.

Compare Dental Insurance Prices:

Price is an important factor. An online comparison would let you carefully view all the different plan options and all the various price ranges, making it easier to pick one that is just right for your budget.

A vital aspect of cost comparison is comparing the yearly maximum coverage under a particular plan on a regular basis.  The value of benefits available in one complete year is a crucial factor while choosing a dental insurance plan.  Yearly maximums are renewed automatically every year.  Also, remember that anything that has not been used within a particular year will not be carried over into the next.  Many of the dental insurance companies limit the average yearly maximum to $1000.

Compare Benefits of Dental Insurance Plans:

You’ll have to ask yourself a few questions while doing this. For instance – Will I be free to choose my own dentist under this plan?  Will insurance with co-pay be needed?  Are there restrictions of fixed dates and times for visiting the dentist for those covered by this insurance plan?

Regarding independent dental insurance plans, most only cover dental services administered from a dentist contracted by them or who is a part of their network.  So check if dental work will have to be done from only a participating dentist.  There are other plans that may allow you to stay with your current dentist, but it is essential to clarify this beforehand.

Check the Major Coverage of Dental Insurance:

Most dental insurance companies split their different dental procedures into three main categories – major, preventative, and restorative work. So inquire about their policies regarding these.  Different dental companies categorize the various dental procedures in their own way.  For instance, one may consider that root canals and crowns are a major procedure, whereas another may not.

Understand your Personal Needs:

Remember that the plan that suits someone else might not be the best one for you.  Some components of a particular dental insurance plan may be absolutely essential for others, but not for you.  You might not need many of the offerings listed under a particular plan.  So give serious thought to what your specific needs are and what is your objective for obtaining dental insurance first before selecting a plan.

The right dental insurance plan could help you look after your teeth with minimum costs.

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Health Insurance Options for the Unemployed

The best type of health insurance for those who are out of jobs, or between jobs, is temporary or short term health insurance, as it helps them tide over a tough period.  In fact, one of the biggest problems confronting those who have been suddenly handed the dreaded pink slip is how to take care of their health without the coverage of employer-sponsored health insurance.

Once a person loses his job, he has to often make significant changes to his lifestyle and economize to be able to pay for his basic needs without having to go bankrupt. At such a time, insurance benefits may not be given much importance and even considered as an unnecessary expense.  On the contrary, when finances are low due to unemployment, finding an affordable insurance plan is crucial for taking care of your health and ensuring that you don’t go into debt due to unexpected medical expenses.

Short term health insurance option

Short term health insurance is the best option for those who have recently graduated from college and are looking for employment, people who have lost their jobs or are part-timers, or those who have retired and are now waiting for Medicare. For many people who have lost their jobs, the first type of health insurance that comes to mind is often COBRA insurance. But though COBRA insurance can help you extend your earlier long term health insurance without a break in coverage, it is expensive, and sometimes even exceeds the cost of short term insurance.

Applying for temporary health insurance is a quick and simple procedure, with some plans becoming valid right from the next day. Just as in the case of traditional long term insurance, when it comes to short term health insurance too you can pick from a wide range of plans. Depending on the plan you choose, the maximum benefit amount will differ. Not just that, the applicable co-pays and deductibles can be customized for different plans as well. For instance, a plan drawn up for an early retiree will be different from a plan for a young part-timer.

Under a short term insurance policy, you will have coverage only for illnesses or injuries that you did not have earlier, as per the specified look-back period. No pre-existing medical conditions will be covered. However, you will get coverage for inpatient as well as outpatient care including diagnostic examinations, prescriptions, surgery, ambulance services, and in some cases also scheduled doctor visits.

Short term insurance plans exclude coverage for pregnancy and maternity, and almost all types of dental and optical treatment. Unless it is performed as part of reconstruction therapy, cosmetic surgery too is not covered.

Short term health insurance typically offers coverage for a limited period. And though you might want to persist with it for a longer time, ideally you shouldn’t try to stretch your short term coverage beyond one year. In case of uncertainty regarding your insurance situation, it would be better to renew the plan month by month, up till the maximum period permissible in the plan.

Technorati Tags: health insurance, COBRA insurance