Since people began marrying each other, money has been a factor, but now a more modern twist has been put on the centuries-old tradition. People are now choosing to marry or (not) divorce because of soaring health care costs and the ability of each partner in the relationship to get his/her own health insurance. A recent New York Times article highlighted this phenomenon with tales of people rushing to the altar, people stopping divorce proceedings and people considering divorcing someone they love, all to maintain, or get, increasingly elusive health insurance.
One of the couples interviewed in the article was considering divorce as a way for the wife to get subsidized health insurance that she needs for a liver transplant. The husband was adamantly against it and the couple was able to take a different route, but this is something no one should have to go through. Another woman told of learning she had breast cancer right before her divorce was to be finalized. Her husband agreed to stop the proceeding and they stay married a while longer so she could keep his health insurance. One couple rushed to the altar so one of them could have desperately needed insurance to deal with an chronic health condition, while another is contemplating marrying after only a few months of dating for a similar reason.
While marriage started off as an institution that often involved money passing hands, we have been able to turn it into an institution of love. This is because of the enormous wealth in the modern world. Rising health care costs, and other large financial burdens, are bringing money back into the picture in a big way. Is this affecting you or anyone you know? Have you heard about anyone marrying or stopping a divorce to get or keep their health insurance?
3 responses so far ↓
1 Festival of Frugality No. 139: The Michael Phelps Edition | Our Fourpence Worth // Aug 19, 2008 at 9:09 am
[...] Michael Cintolo presents In sickness and health (insurance). [...]
2 Abby // Aug 20, 2008 at 2:30 am
I considered marrying a friend who was a Microsoft employee: He was Czech and I was insurance-less, waiting for disability. Unfortunately, I’m too much of a romantic at heart. And I’m glad I waited because I’m now happily married… even if it means dealing with the bureaucracy of Medicare.
Still, I can completely understand altering your marital status to help. My husband has had problems with MRSA (antibiotic resistant staph infection) and since he’s had it more than once in the last two years, no individual plan would accept him. So we have to stay with the far more expensive COBRA from his work: $476 a month. And it’s necessary to keep him insured because of his chronic eczema that requires several dermatological visits a month.
3 Mrena // Oct 10, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Well written article.
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