Health benefits inspire rush to marry, or divorce

New York Times, August 13, 2008

In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, some couples are marrying, or even to divorcing, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know exactly how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly. In a poll conducted this year by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 7% of adults said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation says the number can be seen as an intriguing indicator that some Americans "are making major life decisions on the basis of healthcare concerns."