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Topic: Health insurance for freelancers
| Author | Message |
| bjoconnorfla | Posted – 5/29/2008 1:58:58 PM | show profile Hi, all. I am looking for recommendations for health insurance coverage for me, my wife and son, that I could buy as a freelancer. What's your experience and how much do you pay? |
| mkelly | Posted – 5/29/2008 2:20:14 PM | show profile Sell your kidneys. The profits will cover self-employed insurance for a family for approximately four days. After that, you'll be permanently disabled and qualify for Medicare. Other than that, in the United States, there is no inexpensive or reasonable way to obtain health insurance. You can probably join some local chamber of commerce or perhaps a trade association of some kind, but most of them really don't do you any better. I'm assuming you live in Florida because of your name, so rates might be marginally cheaper there, but in the Northeast, buying health insurance on the open market is hundreds of dollars to start-- a low-cost, nearly useless plan for one person. A good plan for a whole family would approach $1,000 or more. |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 5/29/2008 2:35:41 PM | show profile What's available will depend on where you live and what level of coverage you want, because not all companies and all plans are available in all states. I can tell you a couple of places to check in California, but they won't do you any good if you're in Florida. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 5/29/2008 3:20:01 PM | show profile BJ, Does your state offer any coverage for those without? I ask because some do offer subsidized plans for those who don't have and/or can't easily get coverage (i.e. self-employed) Beyond that, an affiliation with a professional association can be your best bet, as that gives you the ability of group buying power. Often these discounts can make the membership fees more than worth it. Rates are going to vary a lot depending on factors like family size, health conditions, etc., so I wouldn't put much stock in any premium quotes you get from others. Those things can vary a TON depending on where you are because a lot of carriers don't write coverage in all states. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| Katie | Posted – 5/29/2008 3:28:48 PM | show profile | email poster After much research and procrastination, I went with N.A.S.E. ( National Association of the Self Employed) and have been happy with them. |
| Bert | Posted – 5/29/2008 5:07:29 PM | show profile The Freelancers Union plans seem to be great; I just signed up but check them out. It's less than $400 for an individual, far less than COBRA or what I could find on my own. |
| ankyonline001 | Posted – 5/30/2008 7:10:03 AM | show profile | email poster Actually there are lot of online brokers using them you can compare quotes from various health insurance companies and choose one which offer the cheapest deal :) ------ Free Health insurance Quotes -->http://healthinsurance007.blogspot.com |
| Write Stuff | Posted – 5/30/2008 9:28:43 AM | show profile | email poster mediabistro health insurance My family was on another plan and I just switched to an Oxford plan thru mediabistro.com. I have a higher deductible but free annual wellness visits and we're saving apx. $600 per month. It's working out well so far. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 5/30/2008 12:48:29 PM | show profile I had a dreadful experience with NASE, so watch out. They're cheap, but they barely cover anything if there's a serious illness or hospitalization, in my experience. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 5/30/2008 1:08:17 PM | show profile For once I agree with MKelly. You're not going to get anything decent for less than four digits a month. Anything else will have so much red tape and small print as to be useless. And I certainly hope you've never caught a cold at any point in your life, because you will be denied for pre-existing conditions. Moreover, I'm assuming you have a business bank account and have no problem with an insurance company prying into your accounts to see how much money you have before deciding whether to cover you. A simple letter from your bank saying you have a business account is not enough. They want to see statements. Maybe you could go through one of the freelancer's groups, but in my experience, they often require that you prove you've been earning more than half your annual income as a freelancer for at least two years before accepting you--which does nothing for those of us who have only been freelancing for a couple of months. In short, it will be easier if you just got a regular job. But don't mind me. I'm not bitter. Watch Sicko. |
| DQ102 | Posted – 5/30/2008 2:20:42 PM | show profile I am a member of New York Women in Film and Television, and through them I buy an Oxford Freedom Metro plan for one (I am single with no family), paying the bargain basement rate of... $586 a month. It is insane, but the plan is a good one, and I can choose from a range of great doctors. A few months ago, my rate actually jumped more than $80 a month, and I didn't know about the jump until I got my quarterly bill. Yikes! I considered joining The Freelancers Union to sign up for one of their plans, but the process of joining was too complicated, and I didn't like the quality of the insurance plans they offered. Good luck with your search. It is tough, especially in a state like New York. |
| foodlit | Posted – 5/30/2008 3:58:31 PM | show profile I would steer far clear of NASE, if you google online you'll find one horror story after another. Yes, you can get cheap insurance through them, but it likely won't cover anything. I'd check with your state first, here in MA they just put a program in place last year that is great. Also, your local chamber of commerce or other associations. Good luck! |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 6/1/2008 11:07:40 AM | show profile | email poster The scary truth is that NO insurance company wants to insure an individual, his/her spouse and children. To this end, they charge ridiculous, unaffordable rates ($1,000 per month for the three of you would be a bargain), offer poor coverage and have the nasty habit of denying claims and putting you through the ringer if you have any pre-existing conditions. And if you have any health issues whatsoever, you're S**t out of luck entirely. Watch the movie "Sicko" and you'll begin to understand why. Perhaps if Obama is elected, things will change, but I would not hold out hope. It's a sad state of affairs in this, the richest country in the world. No universal health care program is really our nation's biggest shame. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 6/1/2008 9:42:13 PM | show profile I joined a chamber of commerce in my state (call around -- each one charges different membership fees! If you're just in it for the health insurance, find the cheapest one. I saved a hundred bucks or so.) and have Blue Cross. My premium just went up 20% this year. I think that a family rate is less than $1K a month, and that's for pretty good coverage. But you really just have to bite the bullet and pay up; otherwise, when/if disaster hits, you'll be in serious trouble. I had Aetna where I lived previously and, although I heard horror stories about them, had no problems at all with them. And they're cheaper than Blue Cross. |
| beenthere | Posted – 6/2/2008 8:52:03 AM | show profile You or your spouse might want to look into getting a part time job just for the health insurance. There are some companies that offer full benefits for part time work. |
| BruisePristine | Posted – 6/2/2008 11:44:08 AM | show profile I don't have insurance, and haven't had any for two years. No one will cover someone like me. I have bipolar and migraines. |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 6/12/2008 8:20:38 PM | show profile are you joking? freelancers are not full-time staff. and in this day and age, you'd be lucky if you had a full-time journalism job that paid a living salary, but you're dreaming to have both. and asking to have insurance as a freelancer is impossible! you're not a full-time staff member. |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 6/12/2008 8:23:45 PM | show profile I have aetna. started off paying like $115.00/month. I pay $250.00 now for no additional services. the rate hike spiked in one year. jeez... however, I never go to the doctor. I'm lucky I guess. though I went once, she's a fam. friend and in network, and 10 min. away and I only paid 20 bucks. healthcare in the u.s stinks |
| westsidestory | Posted – 6/12/2008 8:51:21 PM | show profile what state bj, it really depends on the state. Some states have subsidized programs (like NY State) and others are abysmal (like PA). I don't know what's in FLA, but check around and see if there is a state program for self-employed people. I would also check with your local friends to see how they like their coverage from various insurers, there is usually quite a variance in levels of care for a family group. In NY I usually recommend Healthy NY, the subsidized state program that covers small businesses. I currently have Aetna with them, and have been pleased with it. |
| westsidestory | Posted – 6/12/2008 8:53:28 PM | show profile FYI, DQ You should really check out healthyny.com, single people I know on that plan are paying much less than you for good coverage. |
| DQ102 | Posted – 6/12/2008 9:40:00 PM | show profile I've actually looked into that program, but I make too much to be accepted, which stinks for me. They have some great plans. |
