Group Health Insurance for Freelancers & Self-Employed 

Did you know that you can possibly get group health insurance as an individual freelancer who is self-employed?  Probably not because even though it’s a common health insurance option in many different states, it’s not something which is considered common knowledge for the average freelancer.  Many freelancers don’t even have health insurance at all because of their concerns about the hassle of trying to get health insurance or worries about the cost of health insurance monthly.  Because they haven’t looked into it much at all, they aren’t aware of the fact that group health insurance might be an option for them.

But is it a good option?

The answer to that question depends on your situation.  If you, as a freelance individual, have other options (such as getting insurance through a spouse or domestic partner or getting insured at a low cost as an individual in your state) then you might not want to think about group health insurance.  But if you’re having trouble getting insured at a reasonable price (perhaps because you have an existing medical condition) then group health insurance might be a good option for you.

At a basic level, what group health insurance offers in comparison with individual health insurance is coverage with special perks designed for small business employers.  This can mean better rates, different details on your health insurance policies and certain legal rights that don’t come with individual insurance.  For example, individual health insurance can be denied to you as a result of existing medical conditions but group health insurance can not be denied in this way.

Fair enough, but how is it possible to get group health insurance if you aren’t a group?

Well, there are two answers to that question.  The first is that you might be able to be considered a group even though there is only one of you.  That’s because some states have a clause which allows group health insurance for “groups of one”.  Whether or not your state recognizes groups of one will be a factor in this, so you’ll need to check with your state insurance commissioner’s office to get confirmation on this before trying to get group health insurance.  If your state doesn’t recognize “groups of one”, then you might be able to become part of a group to get group health insurance.  Certain states recognize groups such as freelance unions and small business associations.  Again, check with your state insurance commissioner’s office to get the details on this for your state.

Group health insurance offers benefits to individuals which differ from those of individual health insurance.  It may sound like a hassle to look into it, but your health is worth any hassle that it might be.  And really, it’s not going to take that much of your time or effort to find out if a group health insurance plan is available in your state that might suit your needs.  In fact, you’ve already gotten the basics down so now you just need to get the details!

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[tags]group health insurance, group insurance, finding health insurance, freelance, freelancing[/tags]