When investigating new employment opportunities many New Yorkers look at what their salaries would be as well as what benefits they may receive as part of their compensation packages. For example, they may find that their prospective employers’ offer retirement savings’ plans or that they contribute to their employees’ pensions. Many, however, look for one very important benefit that can be rather expensive to cover out of pocket: health care insurance.
Having health care insurance can be the difference between catching a serious disease early and suffering failing health from a missed diagnosis. Quite recently access to affordable health care and health care insurance has been all over the news as Congress seeks to make major changes to the current state of health care affairs. It is possible that the Affordable Care Act may be repealed without a replacement which could leave some individuals without a means of acquiring health insurance without employer-provided coverage.
As such individuals who have been considering ending their marriages through divorce have put their plans on hold for the simple fact that they may not be able to get the medical coverage they need on their own. Some individuals are therefore actively choosing to stay in unfulfilling marriages only because their health may truly suffer if the end their relationships and are unable to get the coverage they need to meet their health needs.
External forces can often influence if and when a person is ready to file for divorce. At present, though, it is the actions of Americans’ elected representatives that are forcing some of their constituents to take pause and put their divorce plans on hold as they wait to see what happens with their health care insurance options.
Source: time.com, “People Are Stalling Their Divorce So They Don’t Lose Health Care,” Elizabeth O’Brien, July 24, 2017