Divorcing for … a Child’s Health

Happily married Husband and Wife have Son.

Son is born very prematurely and is plagued by related medical problems.

Son qualifies for free coverage because he is considered “disabled” by reason of his prematurity.

Son has expensive heart surgery and eye surgery.

Son has home nurses while Husband and Wife are at work.

Now, the state is reclassifying Son as no longer disabled.

As a result, Son will lose free medical coverage.

That would likely compromise Son’s medical care.

But there is one other way for Son to retain his free medical coverage:

If his family’s household income decreases due, for example, to a divorce.

So now Husband and Wife are contemplating divorcing … for their Son’s health and welfare.

They wouldn’t be the first Tennesee couple to divorce to hang onto free medical coverage for a child.

The state expects to save between $150 and $200 million by updating classifications of insureds who were disabled only temporarily.

Of course, some of those insureds may still qualify for free coverage by meeting the income qualifications for recipients.

But Husband and Wife don’t.

Read more in this [Nashville] WSMV-TV article: Couple To Divorce For Toddler’s Health Care.

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