Houston Military Health Insurance Lawyers

Providing Experienced & Compassionate Family Law Representation to Servicemembers

Ending a marriage brings all kinds of questions, concerns, and uncertainties to bear. This holds true as much for military servicemembers as it does for civilians. One of the financial and medical areas that can remain uncertain is that of the continuation of health care insurance coverage after a divorce. As we all know, health care insurance is a vital benefit for all citizens, especially those who with families. In the military, servicemembers and their dependents are fortunate enough to be covered by military medical insurance known as “Tricare.” This benefit is affected by family law events such as divorce, annulment, or the dissolution of a marriage.

If you are facing a family law issue such as divorce as a military servicemember, you likely have many concerns. Getting answers and guidance to those concerns and how your military service impacts the many facets of divorce is invaluable. At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC we can provide the legal counsel you need to help smooth the way through any difficult family law issue, ranging from divorce to child custody, child support, alimony, and more. The foundation of our legal service rests on a commitment to serve you with legal excellence as well as client compassion.

Need to resolve health insurance concerns in your military divorce? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC at (281) 810-9760 or online to schedule a free, initial consultation.

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How Does Divorce Affect Military Health Insurance?

Per Tricare’s rules, divorce, annulment, or dissolution of a marriage are classified as “qualifying life events” that allow servicemembers to make changes to their health care insurance plan. After a divorce, the servicemember who carries the plan for the family (known as the “sponsor) remains eligible for the plan as does his or her children. However, the former spouse’s eligibility will be affected; he or she must fit into one of a few qualifying criteria to remain covered. Otherwise, the former spouse’s health care coverage will end on the day that the divorce is finalized.

The criteria for military health care coverage for former military spouses are as follows:

• Former spouses can keep their Tricare benefits if they were married to the servicemember for a minimum of at least 20 years while the servicemember remained in the military for at least 20 years; the marriage and the military service must have overlapped for a period of at least 20 years. This is called the 20/20/20 rule.
• Former spouses can keep their Tricare benefits for at least one year after the divorce if they were married to the servicemember for a minimum of 20 years while the servicemember remained in the military for at least 20 years and those two events overlapped for at least 15 years. This is called the 20/20/15 rule.

The biological and adopted children of servicemembers retain their health care insurance coverage in the wake of divorce; their coverage lasts until they reach the age of 21 or, if in college, the age of 23, or when they marry or themselves become active servicemembers.

Learn More About Your Options in a Military Divorce or Other Family Law Issue

Divorce and other family law issues are difficult enough to face without thoroughly understanding how those issues will affect your future. Our Houston Military Health Insurance Attorneys can provide the guidance and support you need to understand all of your legal options and all of the ramifications of going through a family law matter as a servicemember in the armed forces. We are here to help ensure that your journey through difficult family law transitions are completed with as painlessly as possible and that they leave you with confidence in facing the future.

Have questions? Need legal help? Reach out to us at (281) 810-9760 today.