Menopause-Proofing Your Health Insurance
Women experiencing menopause face 47% higher healthcare costs than other women their age—averaging $1,243 per month versus $848—while insurance companies are still treating hormone therapy like it's a luxury instead of a medical necessity.1
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
Why your pre-menopause insurance plan isn't cutting it anymore
How to identify coverage black holes draining your wallet
4 Power moves to optimize your health coverage during menopause
If you're like most women hitting midlife, you're still enrolled in the same health insurance plan you've had for years. Familiar, predictable, unchanged. But your body? It’s hosting a full-on hormonal rebellion that your trusty insurance plan never prepared for.
THE MENOPAUSAL MONEY DRAIN
Menopause is expensive enough to make your credit card burst into flames. Between specialist visits, hormone therapy, mental health support (because who doesn't need someone to talk to about ALL THIS), and alternative treatments, you could be hemorrhaging cash if your coverage doesn't align with your new normal.
The real kicker? Standard hormone therapies and newer menopause-specific medications often land in the "sorry-not-sorry" pricing tiers of your insurance plan's formulary—if they're covered at all. The damage? $102 to $425 monthly without insurance.2 Many women discover they're paying boutique prices for basic symptom management while their insurance company pretends hot flashes are just spicy thoughts.
YOUR MIDLIFE INSURANCE MAKEOVER CHECKLIST
First, ditch the High-Deductible Plan (HDHP) if you're in active treatment.
What's active treatment? More doctor visits than fingers on one hand, hormone prescriptions piling up in your medicine cabinet, specialists who know you by name, or enough medications to require one of those day-of-the-week pill organizers.
With frequent care needs, a lower deductible plan saves you money despite the premium price tag that makes you wince.
High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is a health insurance plan with a minimum deductible of $1,650 for individuals or $3,300 for families in 2025. You pay this amount out-of-pocket before insurance covers anything beyond preventive care.
If you must keep a HDHP, make friends with an HSA (Health Savings Account).
An HDHP lets you contribute to a Health Savings Account. For 2025, deposit up to $4,300 (individual) and $8,550 (family) into that account. Over 55? Add $1,000 more—I call it your "seasoned woman bonus" because wisdom should come with perks.3
Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account. Think of it as a 401(k) for healthcare but better—contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
Check your formulary before saying "I do" to any plan.
Most insurance plans rank hormone therapies in tiers more expensive than designer handbags. Never assume your treatments are covered; interrogate them like they're your teenager coming home past curfew. This oversight could cost you hundreds monthly.
Don't overlook mental health coverage.
Menopause can mess with your mood faster than a Netflix cancellation notice. Solid mental health benefits are worth paying a higher premium.
WHEN "GOOD ENOUGH" ISN'T
Remember: The insurance plan that served you well at 35 is now as outdated as flip phones. Your healthcare needs have evolved dramatically, and your coverage should should too.
Keeping inadequate insurance during menopause is like trying to bail out a leaking yacht with a shot glass. Time to patch those coverage holes before your financial ship completely sinks.
YOUR MONEY, YOUR MENOPAUSE, YOUR MOVE
Have you taken a hard look at your health insurance lately? Does it truly serve your menopausal needs, or are you staying loyal to a plan that's no longer loyal to you?
Send three women who could benefit from upping their insurance game our way—because when it comes to menopause and money, nobody should go it alone.