A person never realizes how well they have it, until they look at someone else.
Chris' cousin Pat is the someone else I looked at. I read an article in the New York Times on 8-13 about people who are getting married, or divorced, because of medical insurance coverage. Marriage to get coverage, divorce to get some form of benefit. I never thought I would know anyone who did it. Until this morning.
Pat told Chris that he's so worried about his wife & kids, because he has nothing to leave them. He said he doesn't think she would be able to hold a job, & certainly couldn't get a job making enough to support the 3 of them. He also told him that they had to get a divorce, so that she could be paid for taking care of him. She collects a small sum, for 4 hours a day, as a full time caregiver. Which got me to thinking.
Survivor benefits are available for the kids, as they aren't 18, after he is gone. But what about her? Because they got divorced, she won't be eligible. If this isn't the sorriest state of affairs, I don't know what is.
People are rushing up a "pending" marriage to get coverage. In the article, one couple was actually contemplating divorce because she could get benefits as a person with no assets, versus what she could get based on both incomes. Along with catastrophic liver failure, she has to worry about money too.
I can only hope that Pat's wife has family who are in a position to help her. But now I understand why he lives where he does.
Oh, here's the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/us/13marriage.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5070&en=74ba058383eb5ed5&ex=1219291200&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1220457709-ZYKdMb4G3fz0Nq3puZ/mow
Original source: http://karen62979.wordpress.com/?p=663
