First comes love, then comes marriage…then comes figuring out healthcare.

Getting married? Know someone who is? What are you doing about your healthcare options?

When my husband and I got married three decades ago, one of the last things we were worried about when it came to planning our future was healthcare. After all, the companies we worked for and the aspirations we had for our careers all had inexpensive healthcare models for their employees.

My, how times have changed.

Wedding season is upon us, and nuptials that may have been postponed during the pandemic are now taking place at a fevered rate.¹ All that marrying means that a whole population of people are needing to consider what to do about their healthcare as they combine lives and finances. But it’s a tricky topic for many adults today. Americans between the ages of 19 to 34 have the highest rates in the country of having no healthcare option in place. The reasons for this are many: soaring traditional insurance costs, companies that don’t offer benefits, self-employment and entrepreneurial work choices, and more.²

And there are growing reasons that this demographic finds itself scrambling for affordable, high-quality healthcare options. One is the persistent lack of transparency in medical costs. 

“Unfortunately, the cost of health care is one of the biggest mysteries today and the large hospitals and medical systems do all they can to keep the cost of their various services under wraps,” writes Alexander Lakowsky, MD of Internal Medicine, in a recent Op-Med piece. “For example, when was the last time anyone saw a hospital advertise its prices? They don’t do that.

As a result, when patients go to a hospital for tests or treatment, usually at a referral from a physician, they are totally in the dark about what the cost will be or what their insurance from one or more providers will cover.”³ This lack of transparency means that even patients with traditional healthcare coverage have no idea what their portion of the bill will be, and it keeps patients from having clear conversations with providers about costs.

Another factor is that people today are wanting greater flexibility and control over their healthcare. With traditional healthcare options, someone who exercises everyday, is serious about their nutrition, and who avoids health-compromising habits is still on the hook to pay for the choices and health issues of those who aren’t engaged with healthy habits. People can also find themselves only ‘allowed’ to use a handful of doctors, specialists, or facilities, as per the requirements of their traditional healthcare. Those costs and restrictions don’t fly as well with a demographic of individuals who take good care of their health and who want to be able to chose their healthcare providers based on competence and reputation. 

For those individuals who are getting married, the healthcare challenge can be even more heightened. What may have been a relatively affordable option for traditional healthcare while someone is single can turn into a bill that triples when trying to add a new spouse to the plan.⁴ That can be an unwelcome shock to the wallet in the early days of wedded bliss.

Whether you’re the bride or groom-to-be, or you have a young couple in your life headed to the altar, Altrua HealthShare is a resource to bring to the table. As wedding season kicks into full swing, it’s important to consider all your options when it comes to healthcare. And it’s why considering a healthshare like Altrua HealthShare just makes sense as you combine households. Altrua HealthShare offers a top-quality, affordable solution to healthcare, while maintaining flexibility and control for the member. Additionally, being a member of Altrua HealthShare encourages transparency of medical costs, so that you as the patient are more empowered to make better choices for your pocketbook and your health. If you’ve been pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavor but thought you might have to give it up once you are married to have traditional healthcare, Altrua HealthShare can be a solution to keep you in the entrepreneur lane and to have a great healthcare option for you and your spouse. If you’ve wanted to pursue a job with a great new company, but their benefits package is non-existence, being a member of Altrua HealthShare takes care of that. And if your new marriage looks like it could make your finances take a hit with high healthcare costs, Altrua HealthShare could be just the solution you’re looking for.

Planning a wedding and starting a new life together can mean an ocean of details to take care of and lots of, albeit happy, stress to boot. Take a load off your finances and stress-levels with Altrua HealthShare. It’s a great “we do” as you head into your “I do’s,” one that can help you take care of you and your spouse from this day forward, in sickness and in health. 

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Julie Lyles Carr is a best-selling author, podcaster, and entrepreneur living in Austin, Texas, with her husband Mike Carr. They have eight kids, two unfriendly cats, and an antique dachshund.

¹ https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2021/love-is-in-the-air-as-post-covid-wedding-industry-makes-up-for-lost-time/
² https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/10/uninsured-rates-highest-for-young-adults-aged-19-to-34.html
³ https://opmed.doximity.com/articles/we-need-more-transparency-in-health-care?_csrf_attempted=yes
⁴ https://livelyme.com/blog/average-cost-of-health-insurance-for-a-married-couple/