Asking for help from those with private health care through their spouse/DP/DH

[redchairyellowchair]

Has anyone here divorced or separated from their partner and managed to keep their private health care plan that is provided through their partner's / husband's work benefits scheme?

I am seriously ill and have a lot of treatment through private health care that I get through my DH through his company scheme. I wouldn't get a lot of this treatment on the NHS and frankly I'd be dead by now without the private health care.

I've just found out 'D'H has been having an affair and has been spending loads of cash on her. He has been vile for a long time.

He doesn't know that I know yet.

My instinct is to ask him to leave and to file for divorce.

But I am TERRIFIED that I will lose the private health care that I get thru his work scheme.

I can't get the handbook for it - he has to ask for it and then he will ask why.

I can't ring them because then I will have alerted them to the possibility that we will be splitting up.

I want to try to find out before I make any moves whether or not I will lose the health care if I divorce him. If I will if might be a reason to stay together in some form. I just don't know as I am reeling in shock anyway.

Has anyone here divorced or separated and either lost or retained the health care provided through their partner's work? If the latter, how did you do it?

I don't know the answer to this for sure - obviously it will depend on the policy wording - but I have private health care through my own work and "partner" is defined as your spouse or the person you co-habit with in a relationship. I can't see how an insurer would agree to a divorced/separated former partner continuing to be covered. I would imagine therefore that provision of private health care to the same level would have to be part of your ancillary relief proceedings in any divorce. Though, it is likely to be expensive if you have existing conditions - so your ability to negotiate this will depend on how wealthy you and STBXH are - and in any event it may not be possible to obtain insurance for existing conditions when insuring on an individual basis.

If you are heavily dependent on the health insurance, as unpalatable as it may otherwise be, could you not just ignore the affair and maintain your status quo?

www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2012/06/05/three-of-the-most-frequently-asked-questions-about-health-insurance-life-insurance-and-social-security-after-divorce/#3869b8e2220d

Can I stay on my ex’s health insurance plan after we divorce?

The laws regarding health insurance are straightforward, and the answer to this question can be summed up in a single word: “No.” Once divorced, youcannotstay on your ex’s health insurance –but your childrencanand probably should (although who will pay the premiums for them could be a topic of discussion)

HTH sorry your going through a shit time

I have it through work and I continued to cover the dcs once we got divorced but I took exh off the policy

someone else in our office had an affair and got divorced and his ex wife's lawyer put in the agreement that private healthcare had to continue on the company scheme. We had to speak to the healthcare providers because sometimes they won't do it on a company policy (they will always do it for kids but not always ex wives as they aren't seen as close relatives which is often a definition in the policy). Our scheme would do it so she was covered.

You can call the healthcare provider 'generally' and just ask. But ultimately, it might be up to his work whether they continue doing it and he may need to negotiate with them.

There is a very small possibility that the scheme has a conversion options - i.e. if you leave the scheme you may be able to take the cover you have with you under a new policy, with no further medical underwriting. So you could get yourself separate private medical insurance (with the same insurer) if you pay for it yourself. It would be based on your health at entry to the same scheme.
(I have seen similar options on life assurance policies, but I have never encountered it on health insurance - but I haven't seen a lot of private health insurance)

Do you know the provider for the health insurance - could you contact them directly? If they hold your information you are entitled to see it, so that could be a way of getting the policy conditions for the work scheme without going through your husband or his employer.

• conversion option

Sorry to hear about your mess. I very much doubt you will continue having access to your care.

Our scheme (my work, so DH benefits from me) requires being a couple or family, living at the same address for 2 years before you even can qualify to cover the other.

The only difference are children, if you are a non-resident parent they still count if they live in the UK.

My DH has private health care through my work - my understanding is that if we were to divorce (no plans!) then (even if I wanted to pay for it), I would no longer be able to cover him as it is “current spouse or civil partner” only.

I expect most schemes operate on the same basis, so I think you probably would lose cover, sorry.

Sadly, I think you’re unlikely to remain covered.

Even if there was an agreement that your cover would continue, you’d be at the mercy of your husband insofar as if he decided to change job to an organisation that didn’t provide private cover, you’d be without it.
Additionally, if you did divorce and he remarried, you’d probably be off the policy at that stage too.

Agree with previous poster re: looking at converting to a separate policy of your own.

Thank you for your thoughts on this. They are what I suspected.
I will try to find a way to find out without outing myself.

I’m sorry you’re going through all this, OP.

I live in the States now, having grown up in the UK, and I can’t believe how much healthcare insurance impacts on pretty much every life decision people make, whereas in Britain, no one has to consider the impact of losing their healthcare on things like divorce, changing jobs, retirement etc.

Are you in the US also? If so, you’ll be coming up to your insurance renewal for 2019. I would honestly wait until that was done before confronting your partner, at least you will be covered for the next year then.

Ah bugger, I’ve just read your OP again and I see you’re in the UK. Ignore my above message. Best wishes x

In our situation dh has to name all those he wishes to cover under his policy but it only covers spouse and children so I think you may find it difficult to continue the policy unfortunately