Do couples have to buy same level health plans?

Gone are the days when only the man of the house earned an income and provided for his family while the woman took care of the home and the children as a home-maker. As more and more opportunities have come up for brilliant careers for women, they too have started shouldering a responsibility for contributing financially towards their families.The question arises, then, whether both the husband and wife should opt for the same level of health insurance , or whether one should have higher preference over the other.

In case only one of either the husband or the wife is earning an income, then by all means they should have the better health coverage plan. This is because a medical emergency to the sole earning member of the family can put them in financial jeopardy and health insurance can help them avoid it. But even the non-earning member must also have health insurance, but one with lesser coverage or benefits may be acceptable.If both husband and wife are earning, then it is likely that both of them have an employer’s group policy. In such a case, one should compare both policies and the better and more comprehensive one can be considered as a primary policy, to be used for claims during medical emergencies. The other member can then buy an additional individual plan with separate benefits as a backup.

Many insurance providers offer specialised health coverage specific to women’s needs. These include health coverage for maternity expenses, uterine or breast cancer, or treatment costs for a baby born with congenital abnormalities. Additionally, there are some critical illnesses that women are more prone to, and one must have adequate health coverage to take care of those.

If either of the couple have a pre-existing disease, it is always advisable to buy an individual health insurance plan with better coverage than the usual family floater plan . If available, an insurance plan with coverage for that specific disease would be the best case scenario.

In case either husband or wife have a family history of certain illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, or blood pressure, then they must get a health plan with higher coverage and more benefits, even if they have to pay extra for premiums. The future is unpredictable and a good health insurance plan can guard you against future medical risks.

An obvious factor when considering health insurance for a couple is the budget reserved for this expense. Ideally, you would want coverage for every contingency that could occur for both of you. But this is not possible practically. You need to weigh all factors, like family history, pre-existing diseases, who requires the better policy and so on in order to get a balanced view of your health insurance requirements.

Thus, whether both of you should get an equal couples health insurance or one should get preference over the other is entirely dependent on your situation. Using the above factors, find out where you stand and decide how you would want to divide health insurance coverage with your partner.

The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.