New Health Insurance Bill May Produce Higher Prices for Couples

01/11/2010

Married couples who buy their health insurance in the private market may want to pay close attention to the final version of the healthcare reform bill that seems poised to eventually make its way through Congress.

A recent report in the Wall Street Journal notes that both the House and Senate versions of the healthcare reform bill contain so-called marriage penalties that would result in some couples seeing their annual insurance premiums rise as much as $2,000 in the space of a year.

The newspaper goes on to explain that this happens because the subsidies that some would receive for purchasing their own policies are tied to federal poverty guidelines, which apply somewhat differently with individual incomes as opposed to a married couple's combined income.

For those looking to save money on their own health insurance premiums, there are still different options to consider.

For example, seeking a health insurance policy with a higher deductible is one common strategy, as is combining all insurance policies with one specific broker and researching any state or federal aid programs that one may be eligible for.

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