Health Insurance Can I opt out of my union health insurance plan if I am covered by my wife’s health insurance plan? Written by Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Posted on: March 4, 2015 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry. While most people cannot be forced to take their employer’s health insurance plan, there are exceptions. One such exception is if your union contract locks you into the health plan. If your union agreement mandates you participate in the company’s group health insurance, you’re stuck with it and can’t opt out to join your wife’s health plan. You can contact your benefits administrator at work to see if your union contract allows you to opt out of the group health insurance plan or not. If you can decline the health insurance coverage, you will need to find out when you can drop it and when your wife can add you to her health insurance plan. Typically, one only can change health insurance plans (drop or add coverage) during the annual open enrollment period or due to special life events — like marriage. So, even if you can opt out, you may need to wait until the next open enrollment period for you and your wife to make the changes. Penny GusnerContributor . .Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. Related Articles Can I drop my spouse from my health insurance at any time? By Nupur Gambhir How to add a spouse to your health insurance plan By Huma Naeem Can you get health insurance if you retire at 62? By Shivani Gite How COBRA works if you move out of state By Barry Eitel Can my parents kick me off their health insurance By Shivani Gite Does my deductible start over if I change jobs? By Shivani Gite ZIP Code Please enter valid ZIP See rates