Can I have my own insurance and be on my husbands?

Asked by: Josefina Hackett V  |  Last update: October 20, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (71 votes)

You don't have to be on the same health plan as your spouse. In fact, there are some situations in which you may be better off on separate plans. Here are some questions to consider: Do you both have access to employer-sponsored health insurance?

Can I be on my own insurance and my husband's?

Employers can also impose a rule clarifying that spouses can be covered but if they have an offer of coverage from their own employer they must also enroll in that plan (thus making their own coverage primary and the spousal coverage secondary).

Can married couples have separate insurance?

Under the current healthcare law, couples do not have to choose a family plan or the same individual health insurance plan. In some cases, separate policies may be the best option, particularly if you can each enroll in a health plan through your employers.

What is the spousal rule for insurance?

The Working Spouse Rule states that a spouse must enroll in their employer's health plan. The rule applies if the spouse works for an employer who offers a health plan, and the employer pays at least 50% of the total premium for single coverage.

Does it matter whose name is on the health insurance card?

For medical claims to process correctly, the name on the claim must directly match the name on the insurance card. In this case, “Betty Dempsey” is correct. This includes initials and suffixes, such as Jr., Sr.

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36 related questions found

Is a spouse considered a named insured?

The homeowner purchases home insurance and is the named insured because they have the insurable interest in the property. Many homeowners policies also include the owner's spouse and family members living in the home as named insureds.

Can my husband drive my car if he is not on my insurance?

Usually, yes. Your car insurance coverage should be able to extend to anyone else driving your car. Even if someone isn't listed on the policy, they can operate your vehicle. If you explicitly name someone as an excluded driver in your policy, however, none of this applies to them.

Can I have two health insurances?

Can I have 2 health insurance plans at the same time? Yes. A process called coordination of benefits determines which insurance plan will pay first. Your primary plan will pay for the health claim first, paying the costs up to the plan's coverage limits, and then your second plan will kick in.

How does a spouse qualify for spousal benefits?

In general, you may be eligible if you are married, divorced or widowed and your spouse was eligible for benefits. Those who apply for spousal benefits must have been married for at least one year. Your spouse must also have begun receiving Social Security benefits — unless you are widowed.

Can I switch to my spouse's health insurance?

Luckily, switching to your spouse's current health plan is usually simple. But getting the timing right is essential to ensure you can take advantage of the plan's open enrollment. Outside of the plan's open enrollment period, you'll need to know which circumstances allow you to enroll in the plan mid-year.

Do husband and wife have to be on same car insurance?

Do married couples have to share a car insurance policy? No. There's no legal requirement saying you must add your spouse's vehicle to your auto insurance policy.

Do you have to show proof of marriage for health insurance?

Answer: Yes -- employers generally may require proof of marriage before adding a spouse to the company health-insurance plan. In fact, employers may require verification, not only of spouses, but of all dependents.

Can you be on someone else's insurance if you're not married?

Most insurers allow you to add a significant other, such as a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé, or domestic partner, to your car insurance policy if you live together. Depending on the insurer, a significant other can also add their vehicle to a joint policy if both cars are kept at the same permanent residence.

Can my spouse insurance be primary?

Spouse: If the patient is a subscriber on one plan and a dependent on the spouse's plan, the spouse's plan is secondary. If the patient is only covered as a dependent on the spouse's plan, that plan is primary.

What is the average cost of health insurance for a married couple?

How Much Is Health Insurance for a Married Couple? The average cost of health insurance in California is $541 per month.

Is it illegal to have two types of health insurance?

Most individuals only have one health insurance plan, known as “primary” insurance. However, some people also secure additional medical coverage or a “secondary” insurance plan. Having dual coverage is perfectly legal.

Do you still pay a copay if you have two insurances?

In most cases their secondary policy will pick up the copay left from the primary insurance. There are some cases where the secondary policy also has a copay and those patients may end up with a copay applied after both insurances process the claim.

How to determine which insurance is primary?

The insurance that pays first is called the primary payer. The primary payer pays up to the limits of its coverage. The insurance that pays second is called the secondary payer. The secondary payer only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover.

Is a spouse automatically a named insured?

If a house or car is jointly owned, both people may be listed as a named insured. If your spouse resides in the home, he or she is automatically covered under your homeowners and auto policy, even if he or she is not identified in the policy.

Can my son drive my car if he is not insured?

Most insurers cover someone else driving the policyholder's car with their permission once in a while. But, if you're going to start driving one of your parent's cars regularly, you'll need to be added or named on their auto insurance. You can't legally drive your parents' car without any insurance at all, either.

What happens if someone who isn't on your insurance crashes your car Progressive?

Allowing another licensed driver to borrow your vehicle is known as "permissive use," which means you give someone, who isn't listed on your car insurance policy, permission to operate your vehicle. If they're involved in an accident, your auto insurance may pay for the damages and injuries, up to your coverage limits.

Does it matter whose name is on the insurance?

Insurance Credit Scoring

As you may or may not know, credit makes a huge difference for many insurance company's when determining rates for policies like your auto and home insurance. In many instances, the insurance company will only run an insurance score based on credit on the name who is listed first on the policy.

Does your driver's license address have to match your insurance address?

The short answer: yes, your insurance policy, your driver's license as well as your vehicle registration should all have the same (current) address.

Why does my insurance card only have my husband's name?

Your member ID cards will only have the primary subscriber's name on them, but they can be used by all of the dependents (in this case your spouse) enrolled under your policy.