Question:
I am losing my Tricare Prime benefits due to divorce, what can I do for Insurance?

I have a couple ongoing health issues that will not be resolved in less than 60 days (before my divorce is final) and I have no other insurance. My work don't have health benefits and I'm barely making ends meet as it is. What can I do? I am severly anemic and have to have iron ivs on a regular basis, the doctor said for the rest of my life I will have to do this, but how, I can't afford the treatments once my Tricare benefit ends. And I can't afford physically NOT to have them. I also have been having a perpetual period since October. I have bled everyday until just last week when my doctor put in a Nuva Ring in conjunction with my depo shot. But if the bleeding comes back he was talking about a more permanet solution (trust me he has tried everything else this was his last ditch effort). Which once again I can't afford to pay for the dr appts....I feel like I'm in a catch 22. I want the divorce over, yet unfortuanlty I NEED the butt-head's insurance.I'm trying to get him to stall it a little longer but he wants it over as well and honestly he just don't care about my health problems. Does anyone have any ideas? How does one qualify for Medicade/Medicare? What's the difference? HELP!!    — Jillisa R. (posted on April 11, 2005)


April 10, 2005
Contact base legal. I know of someone that got to keep tri-care after the divorce because of pre-existing conditions. I don't know how long she was married, or all of the circumstances, but you should check out that possibility just to make sure. Good luck!! Annie
   — ruokannie

April 10, 2005
Hi, I used to work in medical insurance billing so I might have a few answers. First of all, Medicare is from the national gov't. It is for people who are over 65 or are permanently disabled, such as being blind. Medicaid is administered by your state and the ability to qualify varies from state to state. They normally require you to have a low income of cannot work or are pregnant without insurance. You should look it up in your phone book, under your state government pages and call to find out YOUR state's requirements. You might certainly qualify until you can obtain your own insurance. One other option is: before you're canceled off your husband's insurance you can look into their COBRA program by calling his company's personnel department. You could then pay for your own insurance yourself for a certain amount of time. That length of time can vary by state or by the company's own rules. Be smart and make him pay for your insurance for a year or whatever you believe it will take you to get on your feet. Talk to your attorney about this. It is crucial to never be without health insurance, especially since you have health issues. I wish you lots of luck. Hugs, Sheila Derrwaldt
   — Sheila D.

April 10, 2005
Have you tried to get SSI. Call 1-800-772-1213. They will send you application. They will get you Medcare and Medicaid/
   — Kathryn F.

April 11, 2005
I divorced an active duty military member in 1996. I was not offered the option of keeping TriCare via COBRA because it was a benefit of his job that I was not entitled to if we were divorced. COBRA is for displaced workers who lose health benefits through attrition, layoffs, etc. COBRA doesn't cover divorce. You could have your divorce papers worked so that he is responsible for your health insurance payments for a set period of time. I had medical issues as well and losing that insurance was rough. I used county hospitals and applied for financial aid when I needed it. In the state I lived in, if you made minimum wage, you made too much money to qualify for state health benefits. It is a very unfortunate Catch-22 many divorced people find themselves in. You can sue him for spousal support as well, that may help you financially afford insurance. You are also entitled to a portion of his retirement (if he's a career-military member) and you were married for more than 10 years, that may help you financially as well.
   — Shayna T.

April 11, 2005
I had a situation involving 13 kidney surgeries, no insurance, and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills owed. Then I got Tri-Care. When my husband and I met, I was in the middle of some major kidney problems due to a difformity in my kidney. I had some horrible insurance that had a low life time cap that I had already exceeded and everything was being billed directly to me. Everything. Surgery, after surgery, all my hospital stays, some of them for 8 days at a time. I had already resolved that I was going to have to file bankruptcy. I ended up loosing my house and land in the bankruptcy, but I was able to get an apartment, keep my car and luckly, my job was still there for me during periods when I was well enough to work for a month or two before the next surgery. While at work one day, on Halloween, I met my husband. I worked at Home Depot and he came in as a customer. He was my night in shinning armor. Not only did he support me through the next five kidney surgeries, he provided me with Tri care when we were married. I will be scared by the bankruptcy for years, but when it came to my health, my financial future was not a priority. Dr.'s will still see you and you can still get medical care regardless if you can pay or not. You may end up owing thousands and thousands like I did, but to me that wasn't what was important. Good luck!
   — Gina T.

April 11, 2005
Tricare is tricky. If you have been married over 20 yrs while he was in the service then your entitled to lifetime insurance. If you have been with him less than that.... not sure the amount of yrs... some qualify for 1 1/2 yrs of insurance. Check with the JAG people on base they can answer the amount of insurance time you can get. Good luck,
   — donaramirez

April 11, 2005
If you can get your doctor to write a letter that you need treatments and you go to your local Social Security office they may be able to help you get medicade. Or you might talk to an attorney about making part of the divorce settlement that your husband cover your medical needs instead of an alimony check each month. To qualify for medicade you have to meet an income requirement or to get medicare you have to be disabled in some way. Hope everything works out, I know how hard it is to be in need of medical services and not be able to afford them. My prayers are with you. Keep me up to date. Karyn
   — Zimpo

April 12, 2005
Speak to your divorce lawyer. You CAN potentially get a judge to order your husband to continue your healtcare for a certain amount of time and part of your divorce settlement. Good luck.
   — LMCLILLY

April 12, 2005
Hello, Sorry to hear that you are losing your health insurance. First off, I would contact your local hospital (or hospitals) and find out if they have a free care program. If so, apply! I did and not only am I entitled to free hospital care for a year (then I have to apply again) but they also retroactively erased about $2000 in bills I couldn't pay. Going through the hospital emergency room for routine care isn't advisable, but it beats not doing anything. Secondly, I would try and find out about public assistance. Depending on what state you live, you may or may not be able to get health coverage. I automatically recieved medicaid when I became disabled and went on EAEDC (Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled, and Children) and eventually on to social security disability. I think that the only way to get medicare is to be on social security disability for 2 years, be over 65, or have certain life long conditions (I think related to deafness, blindness, and kidneys). Thirdly, you ought to discuss your concerns with your doctor. S/he may know of other programs you might be able to qualify for. I know that many drug companies have programs where you can get your Rx medicines for free if you meet certain guidelines (your doctor will probably know or you might want to look up specific drug company websites). If you ever find yourself loaded with medical bills and unable to pay, make sure you call the accounting department at the hospital and explain the situation. Often times they are willing to set up payment plans, write some money off, or work with you so that you can pay debt off over time. Best Wishes, Sid
   — mrsidknee

April 13, 2005

   — essie13




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