Affordable Health Insurance - Health Insurance For The Self Employed
|
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 cited 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 isn't one of them. Here are some common options that can make health insurance affordable if you're a self-employed entrepreneur or crafter.
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 ofeZerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.
|
|
|
An Intro To Life Insurance
There are many options available for life insurance, and for most people these options can be somewhat confusing. Below is a brief review of each type and some advantages and disadvantages of each. When choosing a policy it is important to look at the larger picture so that you make a wise choice in terms of cost, coverage and benefits.Term life insuranceThese plans provide monetary benefits only if death occurs within the time period ...(related: Insurance)
Medical Bankrupticies: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
First the bad news: about 2,000,000 personal bankruptcies each year are caused by unexpected medical expenses. Of all those people, 1,500,000 have (or had) health insurance before they ran into difficult financial straights.But wait a minute. Isn't the whole idea behind health insurance - security? The financial security that comes from knowing that you're covered if something goes wrong with your body? You say you're covered, but what if your medical "situation" exceeds your policy limits? Then what?No one wants that to happen, so the question is: are there other options? For instance, is there a way to "insure" against getting sick in the first place? Most peo...(related: Insurance)
Insurance Credit Scoring: An Ethical Issue
The issue at hand is the use of a consumer's credit score as an underwriting tool for auto insurance rates. What is a credit score or ...(related: Insurance)
Individual Or Family Health Insurance Options
As more and more individuals working at home with or without families find themselves without some kind of group health insurance. Sometimes even working at a job, no health insurance is even offered.Thousands of hard-working people in every state are making dangerous choices: No health insurance at all! They believe they are too young or too healthy. They believe they "save a little or a lot of money" and can do without.Consider your friends, family and neighbors ? people who may have been sick or injured. ...(related: Insurance)
Health And Dental Insurance Quotes - Applying Online
Since 2001, large health and dental insurance companies such as BlueCross and GE Financial have offered health insurance online. As a result, individuals and small business owners have more options when purchasing insurance. Consumers can access quotes for premiums and coverage plans to find the most affordable package for their needs.Determine Your NeedsHealth and dental insurance is not just about finding the lowest premiums. You also need to factor in the costs of co-pays, deductibles, and maximum benefits. Determine how often you see a doctor and how much you can afford to pay in medical expenses. Too little coverage can set you...(related: Insurance)
Basic Coverage Of Homeowner Insurance Policies
The insurance policy is a package that includes more than 1 type of insurance in a policy. There are 4 types of coverage contained in the home insurance policy.Included are:Dwelling and Personal PropertyPersonal LiabilityMedical PaymentsAdditional Living ExpensesIn this article, Dwelling and Personal Property Damage will be explained:Property damage coverage will help pay for any damage to your dwelling or personal property. Other parts of your home, such as a detached garage, a shed, or any other building on your property are usually covered for about 10% of the amount of coverage on your home.Personal property coverage pays for your personal property, which includes your furniture, clothing, and other personal property.The amount of that insurance coverage is about 50% of the policy...(related: Insurance)
Guide To Life Insurance Terms
Listed below is a useful guide to life insurance terms. It is a list of definitions of life insurance terms that may or may not be familiar to you.Accelerated Benefit ProvisionA provision in many new policies which will allow the policy owner to receive a portion of the death benefit early if the insured person is diagnosed with a terminal illness or permanently confined to a nursing home.Accidental Death BenefitA provision added to a policy that provides ...(related: Insurance)
Six Ways To Cut The Cost Of Your Auto Insurance
Is your auto insurance bill $12000 a year or even higher? It's not unusual for auto insurance to cost this much these days. But it doesn't necessarily have to cost this much. There are ways to reduce these costs. It might take a bit of work but it is possible to cut that insurance bill by a substantial amount.Tip #1: Get at least three price quotes. You can call companies to get quotes or get them directly via the Internet. You can also call your state insurance department, as it may be able to provide you with a comparison of prices charged by the major carriers in your state. Also, get price quotes from different kinds of insurance...(related: Insurance)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Insurance | All Rights Reserved. | Insurance