November 2, 2012
Getting married, or even divorced for that matter, is clearly one of life's greatest game changing events. And regardless of whether you're entering into a new arrangement or parting ways, the ensuing changes will have a significant impact on almost every aspect of your day-to-day life. One area that often gets overlooked and/or taken for granted is health insurance. As singles, most people have their own individual coverage through their employer's health care plan. Once the knot is tied, though, a decision needs to be made. This is where knowing an experienced health insurance broker can prove to be extremely helpful.
Healthcare Needs Change After Marriage & Divorce
There are several options when a new couple gets married; all of which should be properly assessed prior to making any hasty decisions. In far too many cases, one person cancels their plan and joins the spouse's without ever considering the alternatives—and there are many. For example, many plans offered at the group level are limited in their options. You may have one or two types of policies with which to choose from, and even less options when it comes to deductibles, copay, prescription medications, physician networks and other important considerations. This might work for some people, but only if you're willing to accept whichever plan your employer has decided to go with.
Working with a broker offers you a level of choice that very few, if any, employers can match. If your company decides to sign with a specific provider, you better hope that they offer a plan that is ideal for your unique situation. If they don't, you could end up either paying more than you need to for coverage you'll never use, or potentially not getting enough coverage based on your past health history. Brokers, on the other hand, typically represent a number of different health insurance companies, and make all of their options available to new clients—not just one or two, based on what the company's owner or human resource manager thought was a "good deal".
Choosing an Insurance Carrier
Now, this is not to imply that getting your health insurance through your company is a bad thing, but rather, you won't have the freedom to choose from a wide array of plans when limited to one provider. At our agency, for example, we offer Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Humana, Aetna, United Healthcare and others. Ultimately this gives everyone—whether you're a newlywed, divorced, widowed, single or engaged—the opportunity to review all of their health insurance options. Not just one or two.
It is equally important for those who have recently divorced to consider their health insurance options. If there are children in the picture, an entirely new series of decisions will need to be made as soon as possible to avoid any gaps in coverage. One of the most common questions we hear is, will my insurance cover my children? And in almost every case involving divorce, one spouse will need to purchase a health insurance policy for the first time. Again, these are all issues that an experienced local broker can handle effortlessly.
Still Unsure How to Choose?
We know how overwhelming it can be when, on top of everything else that's happening in your life, you have to consider dozens of insurance options. Premier Financial Insurance didn't become one of Chicago's top health insurance agencies by chance. We got here because we love what we do and we're the best at it. If you're about to make a major life change and want to do things right the first time, give us a call at 800-369-0287, or send us an e-mail in confidence through our secure contact page.