Should your spouse be on your insurance?

The Affordable Care Act requires Americans to have health insurance coverage. Without coverage, you could face penalties and fines.

Everyone in your family has to have coverage, including your spouse and your kids. It is the law.

Most major health insurance companies offer family health insurance plans. But, deciding who should be on your health insurance plan can be tricky.

Putting your spouse on your family plan generally seems like a way to save money and better manage care. But, this isn't always the case.

You should add your spouse to your health care plan as soon as possible if your spouse does not have coverage. This will help you avoid fees or penalties associated with the Affordable Care Act.

If your spouse can have a plan that is different from yours, you should examine your options to see if combining plans or staying on separate plans is best for you. You can make your decision based on a variety of factors, but two of the most important are Services and Costs.

Services

Many plans have different levels of vision, dental, nursing home and prescription drug costs. 

Based on you and your spouse’s medical needs, one spouse's plan may offer better services than the other spouse’s. If spouses can choose between plans, it is usually right to choose the plan that will best cover each spouse's needs.

It is a good idea to see if your spouse will gain more benefits from staying on your plan or being on his or her own.

Costs

If it costs less to have two plans, then having separate plans will protect your health care and your wallet. 

But remember, if your spouse has medical needs that have better coverage on your own plan, the cost may become less of a factor in choosing a plan.

Also, because of some cost requirements within the Affordable Care Act, some spouses may have to buy separate plans.

You should compare deductibles, premiums, and even estimate your future medical costs to see which plan works best for your family.