If my wife's health insurance from work costs $175, then why would it be another $270 for the spouse?

$175 per month for employee and another $270 for spouse for a total of $445 per month. Why is the spouse so much more? Shouldn't it be the same rate for both? If not, what risk factors are involved that would rate the spouse as a higher risk?If my wife's health insurance from work costs $175, then why would it be another $270 for the spouse?
That really is a good question. I tried to find an answer, but it all seems very vague. While I did encounter many people with a situation like yours (one woman paid almost four times more to include her husband on her health plan), I had two thoughts:





1.Maybe it鈥檚 not as widespread a problem as you might think. Even though the Wall Street Journal and New York Times have written about the rate tiers you鈥檙e speaking of, I found a study from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey that showed that the average yearly premium expense for employer-sponsored single coverage was $3,481 compared with $6,647 for plus-one coverage 鈥?less than double the single rate.





2.Some group plans may be required to accept spouses without evidence of insurability 鈥?no medical review or tests. If that鈥檚 true, then there might be a risk-centered reason for the hefty increase in your premiums.





You might want to talk to the insurance company to see how they justify the increase. Also, you might want to shop around for insurance with local agents to see if the same price hike applies to other health plans near you. If you want to do that, check out MostChoice.com. It鈥檚 a site where you can compare and contrast locally available insurance policies and get in touch with state-licensed insurance agents. There鈥檚 no cost and you鈥檙e not obligated in any way to buy anything from the agents who contact you. Just have your questions ready and challenge them to find a better insurance solution for you and your wife.





You can visit MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insuran鈥?/a>





Hope this helps,





Barnes @ MostChoice.If my wife's health insurance from work costs $175, then why would it be another $270 for the spouse?
Probably because your employer is paying for a good portion of your premium.
Employers typically pay 75-100% of the employee's premium, and then a lesser amount for the spouse and dependents. In fact, many companies pay zip for dependents. So, basically it's up to the employer how much more they are willing to contribute towards the cost.