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Ideas on Affordable Health Insurance - Health
Insurance For The Self Employed
By Carrie Reeder
Self employed individuals have
greater freedom but also face many challenges in keeping their business
and their lifestyle on track. One of these challenges is getting
affordable health insurance. The following ideas are provided to make this
task a little easier.
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One of the things that is
important to consider when you leave corporate America for the
freedom of your own business is affordable health insurance. In
fact, the reason most often given for NOT taking the plunge into
self-employment is the lack of cheap health insurance alternatives
for people who are not employed by a company that can offer more
affordable rates on health insurance through a group health
insurance plan.
If you do decide to brave it and be your own boss, there are many
places where you can cut corners. Letting yourself or your family go
without health insurance is not one of them. Here are some common
options that can make health insurance affordable if you are
self-employed. |
Coverage under a Spouse's Plan
By far the most common option is to cover the family for health insurance
through a spouse's employer. As long as one member of the couple is
working for a company that has a group health insurance plan, it's usually
the cheapest option for insuring the entire family.
COBRA
COBRA is an option for the beginning of your self-employment. For the
first several months after you leave your job, your employer is required
by law to give you the option of retaining membership in their health
insurance plan. You will have to cover the entire monthly premium paid by
your company rather than the amount that you're used to paying as an
employee when your employer was covering part of the cost. The true cost
of that insurance can come as a shock to you - a family health insurance
through a group can easily cost close to $1000 a month. It's still more
affordable than most plans that you can purchase as an individual. It's
also only temporary, so you should be looking for other health insurance
options while you're still covered.
A Health Insurance Cooperative with Other Self-employed and Small Business
Owners
There are national and local organizations of self-employed workers who
have banded together to combine their buying power and get affordable
health insurance premiums through group policies. You can find more
information about groups in your area through the National Association for
the Self Employed (www.nase.org) or the American Association of Home-Based
Businesses (www.aahbb.org).
Group Health Insurance for the Self-Employed
In many states like Maine, health insurance companies offer affordable
group policies for groups of one. You may have to shop around to find a
company that does, but there are benefits other than being a cheaper
policy. The most important of these is that they MUST cover everyone in
the group, regardless of health conditions. This is important for someone
who may have been turned down for an individual health insurance policy
because of health.
No matter what, it is vital that you insure yourself and your family
against the possibility of illness or accident. There are cheap
alternatives to individual health insurance plans for the self-employed.
To view our recommended sources for health insurance, or to read more
articles about health insurance, visit:
Recommended Health Insurance Companies Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an
informational website with articles and the latest news about various
topics.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carrie_Reeder
Health Insurance Guide
Health Insurance Article
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Contact: admin @ topbusinessresources . com |