Health insurance for one person can be extremely intimidating and an exhaustive process. Now, imagine the pressure for a growing family who has to balance doubled premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums.
If you’re struggling to understand the overall benefit of family insurance and why your family may benefit from it, we’re here to help. This article will answer and expand on the question, “What is family insurance?”
What Are Family Insurance Policies?
Family insurance policies, or a family plan, cover your family rather than you individually. Under a family plan, there’s a fixed insured sum that covers multiple holders (an individual plus dependents). This applies under the assumption that not everyone will need medical care simultaneously.
Note that most family insurance plans offer cashless hospitalization facilities, maternity benefits, and coverage for pre- and post-hospitalization. But you may be asking, “What do insurance companies consider family?”
The term “family” usually includes you, your spouse, and children under 26 years old.
How Does Family Health Insurance Work
A family plan can be quite different from individual health coverage. Below, we’ll discuss ways a family insurance plan can differ from other available health plans.
Family Health Plan vs Individual Health Plans
First, individual health coverage covers a single person – not a whole group. Family plans, however, can cover an entire household’s medical expenses.
With family care, a health insurance company usually includes children who are naturally born, legally adopted, and fostered in certain circumstances. Also, a child over 26 with a disability can remain covered under a family plan.
Family Health Plan vs Group Health Plan
To take control of your family’s health, you’ll want a plan that offers various benefits and options for all family members. You’ll also enjoy the choice to customize the payout of each benefit.
For example, if you wanted coverage for medical expenses for just hospitalization. However, that can be changed (or nullified) with a fixed benefits plan that covers hospital fees and admission.
What is Included in Family Insurance Coverage?
Just like individual care, it’s important to pay attention to what your family plan covers and what it can offer you. For example, in addition to paying for medical expenses, an insurance company may include daycare coverage or hospitalization in their health insurance plan.
Below are some areas to compare plans in to know you’re picking the best plan for you and your family.
In-Patient Hospitalization Expenses
In-patient hospitalization expenses are any medical expenses you incur while hospitalized for more than 24 hours due to illness or accidental injury. An insurance company will typically cover these expenses under their health insurance policy.
Day Care Procedures
As previously mentioned, a health insurance plan crafted for family care usually includes daycare procedures requiring hospitalization for less than 24 hours.
Hospital Ambulance Services
Emergencies happen, and sometimes they involve seeking assistance from an ambulance. While this can be costly, an insurance company will typically cover the charges.
Hospital Expenses
Pre and post-hospitalization expenses are medical expenses you incur before hospitalization (testing, types of medical care, etc) and after discharge (follow-ups, etc). These are usually covered, but only for a certain number of days. Be sure to compare plans.
5 Factors That Affect Your Family's Insurance Coverage
Like individual insurance, multiple factors are at play in deciding the health coverage your family receives. Age, family size, medical history, and more can impact monthly premiums and the kind of medical care an insurance company is willing to cover.
Below are five factors to consider when searching the market for the best family insurance. In addition, these factors can also impact the type of health insurance plan you’re offered.
Family Medical History
Family medical history dramatically influences a person’s health. Unfortunately, genes aren’t controllable and can often lead to a higher risk for insurance companies.
If you or your spouse have any history of fatal disease in your family, including terminal illnesses like cancer, you can expect higher monthly premiums. This is due to the higher risk of medical care that companies perceive.
Despite the financial risk it may cause, a family history of illness or disease is not a reason to avoid buying family health plans. It’s more of a reason to invest.
Age
Age is another factor in determining the cost of your health insurance policy. Like a family medical history, this is all about risk.
As you age, your body needs more medical care, which puts you at a higher risk for an insurance company. That perceived risk naturally raises monthly premiums and other costs of your health coverage.
Type of Health Plan
The kind of health insurance plan a person chooses determines the monthly premiums they have to pay. For example, an extended health insurance policy requires far fewer premium payouts than shorter ones.
When comparing various health plans, consider their length. It may be beneficial to have one that’s longer.
Policy Duration
How long do you want to pay for the premiums on your health insurance plan? The answer to that question is crucial. The longer time you spend paying, the lower costs will be. The shorter you spend paying on your health insurance policy, the larger the sum may be.
Family Size
Last but not least is the size of your family. Monthly premiums increase when you add a spouse and for every child you add.
In fact, the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for a family plan are usually double those for an individual plan. So if the deductible for a plan is $2,000 for a family, it's $1,000 for an individual. If the out-of-pocket maximum for an individual plan is $6,000, it will be $12,000 for a family. This is true no matter how many people the plan covers.
However, there is an exception for large families. If three or more children on a single plan are under 21, the policyholder will only pay premiums for the three oldest.
What is the Average Cost of Family Insurance Policies?
As previously stated, family health insurance can get costly for numerous reasons. However, the difference in monthly premiums can shock individuals who are used to their singular employer insurance.
A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average monthly premium for a single employer-sponsored insurance plan in 2021 was around $645. Meanwhile, it was around $1,850 for family coverage. If you were to purchase your insurance outside of an employer-sponsored plan, the average cost of individual health insurance was $438. For families, the average monthly premium was $1,168.
In 2021, the average national cost for health insurance per year was $7,739 for single coverage and $22,221 for family coverage.
Also, the best and least expensive option for salaried employees is usually participating in their employer's insurance program if their employer has one. In 2021, the average annual premium cost in an employer-sponsored healthcare program was $7,739 for single coverage and $22,221 for a family plan, according to research published by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Those numbers can vary depending on medical care, health plans, location, etc. However, the jump in price is enough to overwhelm some people.
Good news for those looking to close that gap as much as possible. Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that employers, on average, pick up 83% of health insurance premiums for single coverage and 73% of family coverage premiums. Employees pay the rest of the premium costs.
Depending on the company and the plan, an employer’s minimum contribution toward an employee’s policy is 50% and 0% for dependents.
While the difference in monthly premiums is significant, speaking with your employer about their health insurance options for family care is beneficial. This way, you can see if you can get a better rate through your current provider.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Health Insurance
What is the difference between individual and family deductibles?
Individual deductibles are how much a single person has to pay before insurance starts to pay a coinsurance percentage. These deductibles do not cover families.
Meanwhile, family deductibles are how much an entire family pays before an insurance company covers a coinsurance percentage of the health care for each member.
Can one person meet the entire family deductible?
There are two kinds of family deductibles: overall and individual (embedded deductibles).
Overall deductibles are when every member’s costs are added together as one large deductible. In this case, one person can meet the entire family deductible with their medical costs.
Individual deductibles, however, have both an overall family deductible and an individual deductible. With this plan, it’s difficult for one person to reach the overall family deductible on their own. But you can combine multiple maximums to reach the overall deductible.
What is family deductible vs family out-of-pocket maximum?
Family deductibles work like any other deductible. But it’s just for an entire group rather than an individual. With a deductible, you must pay a certain amount for the services provided before your insurance covers their agreed amount.
Like individual out-of-pocket maximums, family out-of-pocket maximums cover any expense (besides premiums) the family pays from their wallet. Every year, there is an agreed amount that the family must pay up to (the maximum) before their insurance pays all covered services.
How are deductibles determined in family plans?
In family plans, deductibles are determined by the individual deductible. Typically, the overall deductible is twice the amount of the policyholder.
How much will my insurance go up if I add my daughter?
Age, the number of people on a plain, and everyone’s medical needs determine how much your insurance rises per dependent.
If you have more than three children on your policy, you won’t have to pay for those additional dependents under 21. Also, your plan may have restrictions that could impact your child’s care. Therefore, ensure that your current plan is still the best option for your family’s needs.
Need Assistance Finding the Best Health Plan?
Choosing insurance for your family can be exhausting, and the price change can be overwhelming. But it has benefits, especially if you have multiple children under your roof.
Remember that everyone in your household needs insurance to lessen the financial burden of medical bills. Using one insurance plan to cover the entire family may be more beneficial than having separate plans.
If you’re finding it hard to navigate insurance shopping and what plan options work best for you, speak with a licensed agent. You can receive a free quote and clear up any concerns.