While the pandemic often complicated wedding plans for American couples, over a quarter of newlyweds tied the knot because of health insurance coverage.
According to an August Affordable Health Insurance report, 26 percent of 2020 newlyweds got married during the pandemic to extend coverage to a significant other. The percentage increased to 28 percent of respondents in the lowest household income bracket, which is below $50,000.
Of those who married for insurance, 69 percent were Affordable Care Act beneficiaries. Study authors claim the statistic indicates that the majority of these respondents had both spouses lose access to affordable insurance provided by employers and had to turn to state marketplaces.
The influence of insurance amid the pandemic caused 61 percent of respondents to opt for a lower-income job to receive coverage both for themselves and their spouses.
However, if given the choice, the majority of married couples (65 percent) say they would prefer to have separate plans from their spouses because of costly spousal surcharges.