On behalf of The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C posted in Divorce on Thursday, December 13, 2012
In a new study on the effects of divorce on women and their health insurance, it is estimated that 115,000 women in the United States lose their private health insurance every year as a consequence of the marriage’s dissolution. This loss of insurance can also create a scenario where these women’s coverage continues in a depressed state for at least two more years following the divorce.
The study is believed to have found a link to the decrease in patients and ability to collect payments felt by physicians and practice managers alike. What the researchers found was that 25% of women who had insurance through their husbands, end up uninsured post-dissolution, while another large proportion earn too much to qualify for federal aid, but not enough to pay for coverage – they are stranded in an insurance wasteland.
The study ran from 1996-2007 and consisted of woman aged from 26 to 64. The results seem to suggest that this propensity to be underinsured if not uninsured following their divorce, leads to a greater decline in health and economic means for the women involved. In contrast, others have found that some couples are staying together just to maintain their health benefits.
These types of results have led physicians and health practice managers to try and find creative avenues to retain these clients and make it easier for them to pay. Solutions such as discounts on visits and deferred payment plans are being implemented in order to try to stave off an exodus of loyal clients who can no longer afford their checkups and treatment plans. Many physicians are willing to work with their clients in order to maintain these relationships and assist those in need.
Source: American Medical News, “Divorce raises risk women will be left without health coverage,” Karen Caffarini, Dec. 11, 2012