Getting married · 60-day window · Michigan
Getting married? How to handle health insurance in Michigan
Marriage lets you change coverage outside Open Enrollment, but it also merges your incomes for the tax credit. Run the numbers before you pick a plan.
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- 60 days after the wedding
- Coverage starts the next month
- File jointly for credits
Plan coverage for the two of us
Your info goes to Nexus and is never sold. We share it only as our Privacy Policy explains (for example, with your insurer when you enroll). No pitch, no obligation.
The income math changes when you marry
- Your Marketplace household becomes you, your spouse and any tax dependents, and you report both incomes.[3]
- For 2027 coverage the tax credit generally stops above 400% of the poverty level, now that the extra credits expired.[5,6] With 2026 guidelines, that’s $63,840 for one person but $86,560 for a married couple.[7,8]
- Example (our calculation): two people each expecting $48,000 are each under the single limit, but $96,000 together is above the couple limit. Married or not, the right answer depends on your numbers, so we price both ways with you.
2026 couple prices (both spouses the same age, monthly)
| County | Lowest Bronze, both 30 | Benchmark Silver, both 30 | Benchmark Silver, both 40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne | $619.26 | $901.96 | $1,015.60 |
| Oakland | $613.20 | $900.86 | $1,014.36 |
| Macomb | $613.20 | $900.86 | $1,014.36 |
| Kent | $633.02 | $837.42 | $942.94 |
| Genesee | $676.62 | $689.22 | $776.06 |
| Washtenaw | $748.38 | $868.50 | $977.92 |
| Ottawa | $633.02 | $837.42 | $942.94 |
| Ingham | $739.28 | $796.14 | $896.44 |
| Kalamazoo | $749.58 | $799.12 | $899.82 |
| Saginaw | $712.08 | $1,123.62 | $1,265.20 |
| Marquette | $938.12 | $1,616.40 | $1,820.06 |
CMS plan year 2026 file, couple premium scenarios, non-smoker, before tax credits. “Lowest Bronze” includes Expanded Bronze.[9] 2027 prices are published November 1, 2026.[10]
Your options after the wedding
- Join a spouse’s job plan. Group health plans must offer a special enrollment right when someone becomes a spouse, with at least 30 days to request it.[11] If that family offer is unaffordable, see the family glitch fix.
- Combine Marketplace plans. Update your application with your marriage and new household income.[12]
- Wedding near Open Enrollment? Anyone can change plans November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.[10] Older couples: see couples 50–64.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods. https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/
- eCFR, 45 CFR 155.420, Special enrollment periods (marriage: paragraphs (b)(2)(ii) and (d)(2)(i)(A)). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-B/part-155/subpart-E/section-155.420
- HealthCare.gov, Who to include in your household. https://www.healthcare.gov/income-and-household-information/household-size/
- IRS, Eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit. https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/eligibility-for-the-premium-tax-credit
- 26 U.S.C. §36B and notes (Pub. L. 119-21 §71305, effective for tax years after Dec. 31, 2025), Cornell LII. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/36B
- KFF, Midterm Election Update: The Affordable Care Act Marketplaces (2026). https://www.kff.org/elections/midterm-election-update-the-affordable-care-act-marketplaces/
- HHS ASPE, 2026 Poverty Guidelines (used for 2027 coverage). https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
- HealthCare.gov glossary, Federal poverty level (FPL). https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/
- CMS, QHP Landscape Individual Market Medical file, plan year 2026 (HealthCare.gov states), Michigan rows. https://data.healthcare.gov/datafile/py2026/individual_market_medical.zip
- HealthCare.gov, Dates and deadlines. https://www.healthcare.gov/quick-guide/dates-and-deadlines/
- eCFR, 29 CFR 2590.701-6, Special enrollment periods (group health plans). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XXV/subchapter-B/part-2590/subpart-B/section-2590.701-6
- HealthCare.gov, Reporting income & household changes after you’re enrolled. https://www.healthcare.gov/reporting-changes/
Checked October 16, 2026. 2027 Marketplace plans and final 2027 rates aren’t published yet; we’ll update this page when they are.
Frequently asked questions
Is getting married a qualifying life event?
Yes. If you got married in the past 60 days you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. At least one spouse must have had qualifying health coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the marriage.
Get my options or call 616-808-9426.
When does coverage start after a marriage Special Enrollment Period?
On the first day of the month after you pick a plan.
Get my options or call 616-808-9426.
Do we have to file taxes jointly to keep a tax credit?
In most cases, yes. Married couples must file jointly to qualify for Marketplace savings, with exceptions for victims of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment.
Get my options or call 616-808-9426.
Will you sell my information?
No. We do not sell your information. Nexus uses it to answer your request and shares it only as our Privacy Policy explains, for example with your insurance carrier when you enroll, or with service providers that help us run our website.
Get my options or call 616-808-9426.