When both spouses in a household are offered health insurance through their employer, the decision on which plan to choose — or whether to choose both — can be more complex than it seems.
A married couple confronted with that situation shouldn’t assume that choosing one plan or the other is the correct path to follow; there are scenarios in which it is likely a better choice to enroll in both plans.
“If both spouses work and both employers offer health insurance, it can be beneficial for each to be primary on their own employer’s plan,” said Shawn Stack a policy director with the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
One spouse could be primary on their plan and the other spouse would be primary on their plan, said Stack, who noted they would then be the secondary member on each other’s plans.
There are a lot of moving parts to balance against the cost of paying for two insurance plans.
“That type of setup could lower out-of-pocket costs by coordinating benefits and covering the deductible, the co-insurance, the co-pays from each of their primary plans,” Stack said. “It could also provide, depending on their chronic care needs, a broader network of provider access.”
Stack said to ask both insurers how their coordination of benefits works, or seek help from the employers’ human resources representative who handles insurance.
“Compare the total premiums versus the expected savings for dual coverage. If one plan is clearly better, you might consider opting for only the better plan, rather than having both,” Stack said.