If you are reading this, you might be a newlywed! So congratulations and best wishes! Marriage is a huge thing! One of the benefits of marriage is often access to a family health insurance plan. These plans typically offer discounts because they cover more than one person. The most affordable option for a health insurance plan is usually one that is available through one spouse’s employer. 

Navigating the choices available and picking the best one for you and your spouse can take some research and some understanding of healthcare law. So how best to plan for the big life-changing leap into the health coverage pool after getting married? Start with these four considerations:

1. Do you both have coverage through your employers?

• First, check whether your employer plans cover dependents.
• If so, investigate how much your coverage is costing each of you (including monthly premiums, co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles) and determine if you’d save money if you were both covered under one of your plans.
• If you want to keep seeing certain doctors, check each plan’s network.
• Check if either employer has a “spousal surcharge,” which is a fee added to your monthly premium if you elect coverage for your spouse when your spouse is eligible for coverage from his or her own employer.

2. Do you have employer coverage but your spouse doesn’t?

• If your employer covers dependents, you can enroll your spouse in your employer plan. (Spousal surcharge doesn’t apply if your spouse isn’t eligible for coverage under his or her employer.)
• You can also consider individual and family plans for your spouse or even for your whole family. These plans are offered direct from organizations like Kaiser Permanente or through the state’s exchange marketplace, Washington Healthplanfinder. You might find a plan better suited to you both or one that costs less than your employer coverage.

3. Act quickly—once you’re back from your honeymoon, of course

• You have 60 days from the date of your marriage to obtain coverage.
• If you enroll through your employer, the deadline might vary so make sure you check.
• If you miss the window of opportunity that your qualifying life event provides, you’ll have to wait until the open enrollment period, typically in the fall, to seek coverage.

4. About that family deductible—is it aggregate or embedded?

• Some plans feature aggregate deductibles, which means the entire family deductible must be met before anyone family member will experience the plan’s full coverage.
• Other plans, like the ones we offer, offer embedded deductibles. Once one person meets his or her individual deductible (usually about half the amount of the family deductible), the plan’s full coverage kicks in for that person without the entire family deductible needing to be met. Other family members continue to pay toward the family deductible amount.

This kind of pre-wedding planning certainly isn’t as much fun as making your reception playlist or tasting cakes, but checking it off of your list means you can rest easy and enjoy your party that much more. Best wishes for a healthy and happy life together!

If you’re looking for an affordable but high quality option in 2021, then you should consider checking Kaiser Medical Center. They offer quality medical services at an affordable price to patients across the Philippines. Schedule an appointment now with Kaiser Medical Center today.