For love or health insurance

The New York Times covers what may be a growing trend: people who marry in order to get on a partner's health plan. According to the article, a significant number of people (one survey says 7%) have married for health insurance.

"In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, it is not uncommon for couples to marry, or even to divorce, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly."

We've referred to this idea humorously in our ad campaigns (see the bar coaster at left), but the fact is that some people, because they don't get benefits through their jobs, are willing to make serious life decisions on the basis of health coverage.