Working Spouse Rules Adoption is Soaring

Working Spouse Rules are more than just a trend in benefits management. Over the last three years, this way of containing benefit costs in a time of healthcare change gained in popularity. Last year one-fifth of companies limited coverage for working spouses. Spousal carve-out, excluding working spouses from your plan, increased from 5% in 2010 to 6% in 2012.

Working Spouse Rules are becoming more attractive to employers often because spouses cost more to cover than their employees. A large majority are women of childbearing years—a group that spends more on healthcare.

 Why do HR managers love the Working Spouse Rule? Two words: Huge savings. A plan with 5,000 spouses could realize a cost savings of $3-$5 million a year. And when you add on the new Affordable Care Act significant per life cost increase, adopting a Working Spouse Rule can save you thousands more.

Stats from here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-your-boss-is-dumping-your-wife-2013-02-22