• Individual Health Insurance
• Group Health Insurance
• Student Health Insurance
• Medicare Supplemental Insurance
• Short-Term Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Travel Insurance

Family Health Insurance

Getting Family Health Insurance Through Your Employer

Many people have the option of enrolling in the health insurance policy offered through their employer. This is referred to as a group health plan and is usually made available to all employees that work at least 30 hours per week for that company. Most group health plans provide the employee with the option of adding family members to their policy. Under such an employer-sponsored plan, each family member is considered a "dependent" of the employee. Insurance companies provide rate combinations for dependent coverage that are based on which family members are to be added to the policy. These rates are provided to the employer, who then informs the employee of the possible rate combinations, which include employee only, employee and spouse, employee and child, employee and children, and employee and family. The "employee and children" and "employee and family" classifications do not typically place a limit on the number of children. Under this rating system, the rates are based on having two children, so families with more children will pay less per child for their health insurance than a family with only two children.

Your employer will often give you several plan options to choose from, along with the rates and dependent options for each of those plans in the form of a premium chart. Along with the plan options and premium charts, you will be provided with the percentage or amount that will be paid by your employer and the amount or percentage that you will need to contribute. If possible, ask your employer or the insurance company to break this down for each family member you are considering adding as a dependent on your group health plan. This will make it easier for you to compare this option with others you are considering.

If you are fortunate enough to work for a company that pays 100% of your family health insurance, deciding which of your family members to include on your group health coverage will be simple. However, this is not usually the case and is even becoming less and less common as health insurance rates continue to increase. In most cases, an employer will pay the premium for the employee, but the employee may be required to pay the entire premium for any family member they wish to add to the policy. There are laws that require "employer contribution" toward the employee's health insurance premium, but these laws do not include dependent family members. An employer willing to make a contribution toward the premium of any of your dependents is doing so as an incentive and added benefit to your employment with that company.

Note: The information and advice provided in this Guide to Family Health Insurance may not provide the best advice for every situation. The best options for your family's medical insurance may be unique and require the advice of a local advisor. We highly recommend that you consult with more than one insurance broker in your state to gather and compare alternative opinions. The owners of HealthInsuranceFinders.com are not responsible for any decisions you make in regards to your family's health insurance through the information provided in this guide.