Florida law requires parents to provide health insurance for their children after divorce.
Parents have several options for determining how each person contributes to their children’s health expenses.
What options are available for a parent to provide health insurance?
The courts may require the parent who provides financial support to also pay for their children’s health insurance. If the children have had health insurance through a parent’s employer-sponsored plan, it may be possible to continue that same coverage. Since most insurance companies consider divorce a qualifying event, the parent can switch the insurance to an employee plus children option.
This plan must be affordable, costing no more than 5% of the parent’s salary. If the insurance costs more than that amount, the single parent may qualify for low-cost insurance through the federal government.
Since there is variation in the health insurance plans offered through employers, the non-obligatory parent may have access to a better plan. In this case, the parent required to pay for insurance may reimburse their ex-spouse for the insurance cost.
Who pays for additional medical expenses?
Health insurance does not cover all medical expenses. There are additional co-pays, deductibles and prescription fees that require out-of-pocket payments. Florida law requires each parent to contribute to these expenses. The courts determine the financial obligation of each parent based on a percentage of their share of the combined income of both parents.
Health insurance for children is essential after divorce. Preparing before the divorce is final allows seamless insurance coverage for the children.
