Wedding Bells and Benefits
Maximize Your Health Plan as a Couple
Related Content
- Association of Health Insurance Advisors:
- Association of Health Insurance Advisors
- U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Data:
- U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Data
- Council for Affordable Health Insurance:
- Council for Affordable Health Insurance
- U.S. Department of Labor, Health Plans & Benefits:
- U.S. Department of Labor, Health Plans & Benefits
Wedding bells are ringing and you have a lot to think about. But as you make plans for the big day, there’s one big detail you don’t want to forget. Your health plan.
Once you’re married, you usually only have 30 days to make benefits decisions. Like whether you’ll keep your plan, enroll in your spouse’s plan, or do both. If you don’t have coverage the decision is easier. But if you do, you’ll need to compare plans and pick the best option. The goal is choose what helps you both maximize your benefits.
The four most important factors to consider:
- Services: How comprehensive do you want your health coverage to be? Are services like dental, vision care or prescription drugs covered?
- Doctors and facilities: Do you like to visitspecific doctors or hospitals? What doctors and hospitals does each plan cover?
- Convenience: Do you want to visit providers near your job or home?
- Cost: How much are you willing to spend on premiums? Are there co-payments for routine and emergency care?
Benefits hotlist
The checklist below is a great resource. It helps you consider what you need most from a health plan:
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Specific doctor, hospital or medical facility |
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Premiums, co-payments, and deductibles |
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Vision and dental benefits |
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Choosing specialists without a referral |
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Life insurance |
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Short-term and long-term disability |
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Prescription costs |
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Discounts for vitamins, fitness centers or alternative health care providers |
Plan for tomorrow today
Try out our Health Expense Calculator. You can estimate routine medical, dental, vision and prescription costs.
Plus, the numbers you crunch are based on your age, condition and frequency of doctor's office visits for greater accuracy.
Don’t wait till you get to the chapel to choose your health plan. Start planning for a healthy future today.
- Related Stories:
- Wedding Bells and Benefits: Maximize Your Health Plan as a Couple
- Wed Without Benefits: What to Do When You Don’t Have Employer Coverage
- Money talks: Financial factors to think of when picking benefits
- Packing for a healthy honeymoon: The travel protection that belongs in your carry-on
- Newlyweds, the Clock Is Ticking: Don’t Miss Your 30-Day Window to Choose Benefits
- Happy Anniversary: It's time for your first health plan check in