As a military spouse, you no doubt had to make sacrifices to support your husband or wife’s career. One of the primary trade-offs for that sacrifice was likely the benefits you enjoyed due to his or her service. Health insurance coverage through TRICARE was probably one of the most important. Now that you are preparing for a divorce and looking ahead to your life in Richmond, you might be worried about how you will be able to replace that coverage. Several of the clients that we here at The Grinnell Firm, PSC have worked with have shared the same concern. You will be happy to hear (as they were) that such coverage can continue even after your divorce.
According to TRICARE’s website, your coverage can continue after your divorce provided you meet one of the following two qualifications: the “20/20/20 Rule” (which has been detailed on this blog in the past) or the “20/20/15 Rule.” The criteria for the 20/20/15 Rule is as follows:
- Your former spouse has 20 years of creditable services towards retirement pay
- You and your former spouse were married for at least 20 years
- At least 15 years of your marriage overlapped his or her time credited towards his or her military retirement pay
If you qualify for continued TRICARE coverage, you become your own plan sponsor, and you will use your own Social Security Number when submitting claims. If your qualification is based off the 20/20/20 Rule, your coverage continues until to you remarry or secure group health plan coverage through an employer. If you qualify under the 20/20/15 Rule, your coverage continues for one year from the date your divorce was finalized.
More information on retaining military benefits following divorce can be found by continuing to explore our site.
