Does anyone know the best way to get health insurance if you are self employed.?

Question

I am self employed and never even thought about health insurance. I would be very grateful for some advice on how I can get this started, where to begin or if someone knows of companies that are good for self employed people.

Answer 1

The best place is with a local independent agent, that works with all the major companies in your area, whether or not you're self employed. If you are self employed you'll need an individual policy even though some companies market "group" insurance to the self employed. Be aware that these "group" plans are being looked at closely by the insurance commissioner of many states. The reason is these policies are not major medical and have many limitations.

The agent can work with you to find the best policy for your situation and budget. No one here can recommend a policy because not all companies write in all states and the plans from any one company will vary by state.

Do not try to do this over the internet. It'll take you several days to intelligently compare all the plans available. Also, if you have any pre-existing conditions that might add a rider to the policy, cause you to be declined, or if you are out of the height and weight guidelines you won't know until you've applied and gone through the underwriting process.

Answer 2

Try insurance through N.A.S.E. (National Association for the Self-Employed).

Answer 3

There are several on-line services that can assist you in getting a quote.  Two of the more reliable are :

http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-2952034-1051...

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2952034-1...

Because they specialize and partner with numerous health insurance providers, you are more likely to get better coverage at a better rate through them verses calling around to individual agents.

I hope this helps!

Answer 4

I mean there's no "self-employed" insurance. Basically you'll be buying personal insurance, which, depending on the coverage you're looking for can get sorta expensive. If you're healthy and you get something with a higher deductible so you will have a lower premium. Check out http://www.ez-insurancefinder.com they have some good info and gives quotes from some of the top providers in your area.

Answer 5

Hello, you have lots of great answers, it's going to take some time to check into them all. .and i'm going to give you one more..

the www.nase.org is a great idea.. but there is a yearly memebership fee as well which the previous person didn't mention..

I am self employed.. young.. don't get sick much.. and found a great plan through AmeriPlan USA.  it's basically a discount medical card and you pay really low monthly fees and when you DO need it.. you get upfront discounts on anything health related.. you KNOW how much it's going to be, before you even go in!  

Dental 50-80% off all services (even braces)

Vision 10-60% off Lasik included!

Prescription Drugs 25-50% off

Chiropractor one free visit and 30-50% off thereafter!

hospitalization any hospital of your choice.. 2500 deductible...

doctors, specialists lab work all discounted up to 70%

If you have any questions.. please look under the contact me section.. and it has my info.. i'd be glad to tell you how it works for me.. =0)

Ins. is a horrible thing... I wish the gov. would just pay for everyone!!!

Answer 6

I found a better plan at a lower cost to me at Ehealthinsurance.com

You just type in your zipcode and it will show you providers in the area (minus a broker's fee). Also , it will show you the full plans that they offer for your state.

Answer 7

Contact a company that specializes in helping small business owner find affordable health insurance. You can visit: http://www.SmedleyInsuranceGroup.com. They even have a click to call feature on their main page... Input your name and # and a licensed agent will call you within seconds!

Answer 8

Go to a local agent, and ask them to get you some quotes.  With health insurance, it costs what it costs, and you get what you pay for.

Buy local, and you won't get scammed.

Answer 9

Don't look for insurance companies, look for trade groups in your line of work.  A lot of them have obtained group policies that members are eligible for - and that's a whole lot cheaper than your own policy.

Answer 10

Here are 5 things that you need to know about health insurance for the self employed:

1. Individual health insurance is typically much much cheaper than group health insurance.

2. If your business makes a profit you can typically deduct 100% of your health insurance premiums on the front of your 1040.

3. Choose a reputable company like United Healthcare, Blue Cross, Aetna, Humana, etc. (stay away from NASE/Mega Life - just do a Google or Yahoo search for Mega Life and you will see that they have a very high amount of complaints).

4. Work with an independent health insurance agent, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), or other qualified financial advisor.

5. Compare rates and plans every year to make sure that you are continuing to get the best value. You will want to compare quotes from at least 3-5 different reputable companies.

http://www.HealthQuote360.com

Answer 11

You might consider enrolling in a “qualified” High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). This is health insurance with high deductible amounts, so it costs less than traditional health insurance. Under federal law, the minimum deductible in a HDHP plan is $1,100 for an individual and $2,200 for a family. The maximum deductibles are $5,500 for an individual and $11,000 a family.

The advantage of an HDHP is that you can shelter up to $2,850 for an individual or $5,650 for a family per year from state and federal taxes in a Health Savings Account (HSA). Depending on your tax bracket and where you live, that could save you as much as $2,971 in taxes per year, assuming a combined tax rate of 52.6%—9.3% in state income tax (California), 28% in federal income tax, and 15.3% in self-employment Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax. Another way of looking at it is that an HSA doubles your buying power, since you are using pre-tax dollars to pay for deductibles. The contributions you make to an HSA are yours to keep, rolling over each year. The funds are not taxed, provided you use them to pay medical expenses or withdraw them after age 65. The funds earn interest on a tax-deferred basis. Think of it as an IRA that you can use to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses.

To find a qualified plan, speak with a health insurance broker. A broker works with several insurers and can find the best plan, rates and coverage for you. To find a broker, log on to a website like http://www.healthinsurancewiz.com and fill out a form requesting a free quote. Good luck!

Answer 12

It is possible to purchase individual health insurance but it can be expensive and, if you have a pre-existing health problem, you might be denied coverage for that condition or denied coverage completely.

Insurance is regulated by the State so I would start by doing a Yahoo search for "Individual Health Insurance Ohio (or wherever you live) then ignore all the Insurance companies that promise you great coverage for low prices and get quotes from the insurance companies that have names that are familiar to you.

Personally, I would avoid using a Broker, a person who represents a number of different companies because s/he might recommend a company that pays them the highest commission. When you contact the Insurance companies yourself, you will be working with a different Agent from each company and you know each Agent will want you to buy from them. However, the Agents will help you understand the plans their company sells because they are experts in them. The Broker isn’t an expert in any one specific company.

Anthem sells good individual insurance policies as does Blue Cross Blue Shield. Avoid companies that you have never heard of like Mega Insurance. These companies have popped up to "provide affordable health insurance" but have so many loopholes in the polices people have ended up paying high monthly premiums and then not having benefits when they need them.

When you are deciding on a policy, determine what is most important to you. Is this policy really so you have peace of mind in case you develop a serious illness? If so, take out a policy with an annual deductible of $2000 or $2500. Or, are you willing to pay a $300 or more monthly premium so your deductible is $250 and your regular check-ups are covered by the policy? If you don't need maternity coverage, that will lower your coverage. If you don't feel you need coverage for mental health that will lower your coverage. You might also have an option of electing coverage for generic drugs only but remember that eliminates your choice of using a brand drug your physician might recommend. However, pharmaceuticals are a very expensive component of the price of the plan and I would seriously consider a “generics only” option if it is available.

Answer 13

I know I have a 1/50 chance of you being in New York but if you have 2 or more employees (yourself included) you are eligible for a program called Healthy NY.