In Sickness and In Health

Kevin Sack's got an article today in the NYT about people who marry or divorce 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.

In a poll conducted this spring by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research group, 7 percent of adults said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation cautions that the number should not be taken literally, but rather as an intriguing indicator that some Americans “are making major life decisions on the basis of health care concerns.”

Stephen L. J. Hoffman, an officiant at a wedding chapel in Covington, Ky., said he was no longer shocked that one of 10 couples cite health insurance as the reason they stand before him.

Where are all those family values/save marriage people now? Where's the outrage? Maybe they should be worrying less about same sex couples who marry for love and more about fixing the dysfunctional health care system.

Wondering what you can do about it? Start by calling Congress.

image: Michael Stravato for The New York Times