'In Sickness, In Health' On Rise As Reason To Tie Knot

Menlo Park, CA (AHN) - A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation released Tuesday said 7 percent of adults in the U.S. tie the knot to have access to insurance.

Experts were not surprised by the finding as the Kaiser report showed the number of uninsured in the U.S., currently 47 million, are increasing in number. Over 8 of 10 uninsured come from families with incomes below 200 percent of the 2006 federal poverty level of $41,000 for a family of four.

The need for an insurance cover could also be the reason why some couples trapped in unhappy unions do not file for divorce. Sherri Parish of Indiana was about to finalize her divorce from husband Jonathan when she got a confirmation she has breast cancer. Sherri asked Jonathan if they could postpone the divorce so she would continue to enjoy insurance coverage. He agreed.

This growing trend, wedding experts said, strengthens one of the marriage vows for couple to stick together "in sickness and in health."

Because of lack of preventive care, 20,000 adults who are uninsured die annually, the Kaiser study said.