Divorce, Health Insurance and a Retired Federal Employee

Susan Smith

FedSmith

A divorced spouse of a retired federal employee has been frustrated in her attempts to continue her coverage under his federal health insurance policy even though she had a court order requiring her ex-husband to "continue to pay…the premiums due on the medical" policy. (Richardson v. Office of Personnel Management, C.A.F.C. No. 2009-3159 (nonprecedential), 10/6/09).

In spite of this language in the divorce decree, Mr. Richardson later removed his ex-wife from his federal health insurance. Vinnie Richardson (the ex-wife) then wrote to the Office of Personnel Management and requested that her health insurance be reinstated. No can do, said OPM. The agency concluded it had no authority to enforce a court order that directed a federal retiree to keep his spouse covered under his Federal Employees Health Benefits policy. (Opinion, pp. 1-2).

Source: http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2145/divorce-health-insurance-retired-federal-employee.html