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
Most couples spend more time registering for gifts and picking out wedding flowers than they do discussing health and financial benefits. But, once the honeymoon is over, it is time to get down to business and learn how to make your benefits work for both of you.
It is easy to maximize your health benefits if only one of you has health insurance — the spouse or partner without the coverage is added to the existing health insurance plan. However, it is more likely that you both have benefits and need to compare the two plans. According to the Plan for Your HealthSM survey, more than a third of newlywed or soon-to-be married women (37 percent) would choose a new health plan today if they had the opportunity, compared to about a quarter (26 percent) of other women. This is a good time to resolve any health care issues you have, either by making changes to your own plan or by joining your spouse's or partner's plan.
When deciding if you want to stay on your own plan or join your spouse's or your partner's, you need to decide what is most important to you.
- Services: How comprehensive do you want your health insurance coverage to be? Are additional services provided such as coverage for dental, vision care or prescription drugs?
- Choices: Would you like to be able to choose a specific doctor or hospital? What doctors and hospitals are covered in each plan?
- Convenience: Is it important to visit health care facilities that are close to your job or home?
- Cost: How much are you willing to spend on premiums? Are there co-payments for routine and emergency care?
The Plan for Your Health Health Expense Calculator will help you realize the extent of your routine health and medical expenses. This PlanforYourHealth.com tool will allow you to estimate your annual medical, dental, vision and prescription expenses based on your age, condition and frequency of doctor's office visits.