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The Daily Insight

How long after marriage can you get health insurance?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 03, 2026

60 days
You have 60 days from the date of your marriage to obtain coverage. If you enroll through your employer, the deadline might vary so make sure you check.

Do health insurance companies check if you are married?

Answer: Yes — employers generally may require proof of marriage before adding a spouse to the company health-insurance plan. Both employers and insurance companies are generally permitted to implement proof-of-marriage policies provided they act in conformity with federal and state law.

Can my spouse take me off health insurance?

The answer is No. Simple as that. Once you are married and on your spouse’s insurance, you cannot remove them from your insurance policy prior to a divorce. However, if you read the reasons why the law exists, it states that a spouse cannot be removed from health insurance prior to a divorce.

Can my spouse drop me from health insurance?

As such, you cannot remove your spouse from your health insurance while your divorce is pending. While it is desirous to stay on an ex-spouse’s low-cost or no-cost plan, this option is often challenging, especially since health insurance companies do not permit divorced spouses to remain on a health insurance policy.

What happens to your health insurance after a divorce?

In all cases following a divorce, an employer will no longer cover a spouse under an employee’s healthcare policy. However, a spouse does have rights under COBRA to continue coverage. A spouse will have 60 days to notify the employee’s health plan administrator that they would like to continue coverage.

When to change your spouse’s health insurance policy?

Note that if you choose not to make changes immediately after your wedding you will have to wait until your employer’s open enrollment period. Changes to or loss of your spouse’s health insurance coverage also qualifies as a life event, at which point your spouse is eligible to join your policy.

When do you get married can you get health insurance?

Once you are married, you are eligible to join one another’s employer-sponsored health insurance. Typically, employees may only make changes to health insurance during the open enrollment period, which normally takes place one month out of the year.

Why do married couples have separate health insurance?

So if a family opts to have one spouse on one plan and the other spouse on a separate plan with the couple’s children, each plan will have its own out-of-pocket limit, and the total exposure could be higher than it would be if the whole family were on one plan.