Health Insurance Can I get health insurance through my girlfriend’s plan at work if we live together? By Barbara Marquand | Posted on July 23, 2012 Why you should trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. You might be able to get coverage, so it’s definitely worth checking out. The answer will depend on whether your employer extends benefits to domestic partners and whether the two of you meet the definition of domestic partners. Generally to be considered domestic partners, you must have lived together for at least six months and plan to live together indefinitely. Other qualifications might include sharing financial reponsibility for basic living expenses and having a close, personal relationship in which you’re responsible for each other’s welfare. To find out if you can get coverage, ask your girlfriend to talk to her employer’s benefits manager about the company’s rules for health insurance dependents. Some states require employers to extend health benefits to domestic partners if they extend them to spouses. However, those state laws don’t apply to self-insured employers. Very large employers typically self insure. Keep in mind that the employer probably won’t pick up the entire tab for you to get health benefits, even if it offers them to domestic partners. At least a portion of the premium for your coverage will likely come out of your girlfriend’s paycheck. For more, see Hey, is that really your insurance dependent? Related Articles How to add a spouse to your health insurance plan By Huma Naeem Does my deductible start over if I change jobs? By Shivani Gite When does health insurance start at a new job? By Shivani Gite Can I drop my spouse from my health insurance at any time? By Nupur Gambhir When does health insurance expire after leaving your job? By Casey Bond If both spouses have health insurance which is primary? By Prachi Singh