Has your spouse threatened to end your health insurance coverage?

Even though you are healthy, you undoubtedly realize how important it is to have health insurance. If you are a stay-at-home parent, though, you depend on your spouse to provide you with health insurance coverage. Your husband or wife gets coverage through his or her employer, of course.

During any divorce, arguments can quickly get out of control. If your spouse has threatened to remove you from his or her insurance policy, he or she simply may be bluffing. On the other hand, you must take all threats seriously. So, can your soon-to-be ex-spouse end your health insurance coverage?

You are safe for now

When you began your divorce, the court likely issued some standard family law restraining orders. One of these orders prohibits your spouse from kicking you off his or her health insurance. If your spouse ignores the order, he or she faces some serious legal and financial penalties.

Your insurance coverage will not last forever

Most employment-based insurance policies have precise eligibility rules. While being your spouse’s spouse currently qualifies you for coverage, you are unlikely to be eligible for coverage as an ex-spouse. Therefore, it is advisable to begin looking at other coverage options.

According to the New York Department of Financial Services, you may be eligible for temporary health insurance under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act. Still, this coverage is only available for three years and is often extremely expensive.

Ultimately, while your spouse cannot end your health insurance coverage while your divorce is pending, you must prepare for your post-divorce future.