Divorce after 60: What happens to your health benefits?

Divorcing as you near retirement — or after you’ve retired — comes with extra considerations, particularly regarding health insurance. If you were covered under your ex-spouse’s employer plan, you can opt in to coverage under COBRA — the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act — for up to 36 months after the divorce. The decision to opt into COBRA partially depends on your ex-spouse’s coverage, said Crystal Cox, a certified financial planner in Madison, Wis. “My husband’s health insurance is amazing,” she said. “You can, however, qualify based on your new spouse’s history, but they must also have enough credits and be 62 years of age,” said Cameron Valadez, a certified financial planner in Riverside.