Buying Health Insurance If You’re Self

If you just became self-employed after leaving a full-time W-2 job, you can use COBRA to continue your previous employer’s coverage until you’re able to find a new plan. If it’s not open enrollment, you should also be able to qualify for a special enrollment period to shop on the HealthCare.gov marketplace or your state’s equivalent. These plans are usually more affordable than COBRA plans.

Make sure your premiums are affordable, as your monthly income may be variable. Your health insurance premiums are also tax-deductible sometimes, so don’t forget that come tax time.

Learn more about health insurance for freelancers.

How Can I Get Affordable Health Insurance

Affordable health insurance policies can be acquired from a variety of sources, but the best strategy is to compare available plans. First, check to see if you qualify for Medicaid coverage, which will always be the lowest-cost option available. If you are not eligible, then using ACA subsidies for individual health insurance coverage is the next-most affordable option.

What Is Health Insurance For The Self

Health insurance for the self-employed is any insurance plan purchased as an independent contractor or self-employed individual where you are required to cover the cost of your own employee benefits, including health insurance. You may have a couple of options for buying coverage, such as purchasing health insurance directly from a provider or through your states exchange or Heathcare.gov. You may apply during open enrollment which happens once per year every fall or after a qualifying life event.

Depending on your income, you may qualify for a discount through cost-sharing reductions, which may lower the cost of your deductible, co-payments, or co-insurance. To qualify, you must sign up for one of the Marketplace plans.

If your income is low, you may also see if you qualify for Medicaid, which could offer free or inexpensive health insurance. You may apply for Medicaid through the Marketplace or through your states Medicaid agency.

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What About An Hdhp With A Health Savings Account

A high-deductible health plan, or HDHP, can be any one of the types of health insurance above HMO, PPO, EPO or POS but follows certain rules in order to be HSA-eligible. These HDHPs typically have lower premiums, but you pay higher out-of-pocket costs, especially at first. They’re the only plans that qualify you to open a health savings account, or HSA, which is a tax-advantaged account you can use to pay health care costs. If youre interested in this arrangement, be sure to learn the ins and outs of HSAs and HDHPs first.

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If you’re pretty healthy, any of a variety of plans might work. But if you or your spouse or dependent family member has particular ongoing health needs , that information can be really useful in helping you narrow the field to your best health insurance choice. “If there’s a plan that doesn’t have your provider or your medications in-network, those can be eliminated,” he says.

Sometimes you can enter in your medications or doctors’ names while you search for plans online to filter out plans that won’t cover them. You can also just call the insurance company and ask: Is my provider in-network for this plan I’m considering? Is my medicine on the plan’s formulary ?

There are also two major different types of plans to consider. “You may have a choice between what’s called an HMO or a PPO,” says Corlette. A Health Maintenance Organization tends to have a strict network of providers if you see a provider outside of the network, the costs are all on you. A Preferred Provider Organization “will give you a lot broader choice of providers it might be a little bit more expensive to see than an out-of-network provider, but they’ll still cover some of that cost,” she explains.

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A Key Aspect Of Health Insurance That You Should Consider When Comparing Plans Is The Type Of Provider Network Each One Offers

Each health policy will be classified into one of four different network types: Health Maintenance Organization , Preferred Provider Organization , Exclusive Provider Organization or Point of Service Plan . The main factors that you need to consider when comparing networks are whether the insurer needs a primary care physician for referrals and the level of expenses you are responsible for if you receive out-of-network coverage.

A PCP is a health care professional that is your first point of contact for health care. PCPs will provide you with basic care services and recommendations to see other specialist doctors if needed. If you choose a provider network that does not require a PCP, then you would be able to seek out care from specialists on your own instead of getting referrals.

Through The State Marketplace

The other way you can get health insurance is through your states Health Insurance Marketplace, thanks to the Affordable Care Act , which expanded health insurance access for uninsured individuals.

Getting insurance through the Marketplace can be more complicated than getting insurance from an employer. However, its a good option for some people, including those who are self-employed or unemployed.

Also, if you qualify for Medicaid in your state, which provides affordable health insurance for low-income individuals, you can only get insurance through the Marketplace. The same goes for families who qualify for a tax credit, or the Childrens Health Insurance Program .

To get health insurance through the Marketplace, you can visit HealthCare.gov and click the Take the first step to apply button. From there, you will be asked to input your state. If your state has its own insurance Marketplace, you will be redirected to that website. Otherwise, you will be brought to the federal health insurance website.

So, what are the pros and cons of private insurance through the Marketplace? The biggest advantage is that you have the widest range of plan options and providers to choose from. Unlike group health insurance, you probably wont be limited to just two or three options.

Heres what you need to know about these eligibility periods:

Get coverage during Open Enrollment

Get coverage after a Qualifying Life Event

Common examples of Qualifying Life Events include:

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Compare Health Insurance Plan Metal Categories

When youre shopping for a plan on HealthCare.gov or your state exchange, the plans are shown in four metal categories. No, not like Mötley Crüe. More like Michael Phelps. The plans are tiered according to how much they cost and what they cover: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Keep in mind that if youre eligible for cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act, you must pick a Silver plan or better to get those reductions.4

It’s good to know that plans in every category provide some types of free preventive care, and some offer free or discounted health care services before you meet your deductible. The way it basically works is that Bronze plans have the lowest monthly premiums but the highest out-of-pocket costs. As you work your way up through the Silver, Gold and Platinum categories, you pay more in premiums, but less in deductibles and coinsurance.

However, the extra costs in the Silver category can be minimized if you qualify for the cost-sharing reductions, so youll want to make sure youre getting the maximum value of those reductions when youre shopping for health plans. They can substantially lower your out-of-pocket health care costs,so get with one of our Endorsed Local Providers who can help you find out what you may be eligible for.

The table below shows the percentage that the insurance company pays and what you pay for covered expenses after you meet your deductible in each plan category.

How Do I Choose The Most Affordable Medical Insurance

The most affordable health insurance depends on your household income. The cheapest option is to enroll in Medicaid if your income falls below 138% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid is a federally funded health insurance program that provides health care benefits to low-income individuals. For those not eligible for this option, the most affordable solution may be through your state marketplace, as well as off-exchange plans, including short-term health insurance policies.

It’s important to note that the cheapest health insurance plan may not always be the right policy for you. Therefore, to find the best value coverage, you should evaluate your medical needs before buying a health insurance policy.

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How Much Should A Health Insurance Plan Cost

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, there are only five factors that go into setting your premium:

• Your age

• Whether or not you use tobacco

• Individual vs. a family plan

• Your plan category

Health insurance companies are not allowed to take your gender or your current or past health history into account when setting your premium.

Health insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces have increased steadily due to many different circumstances, including political uncertainty as well as the cost of doing business. Additionally, while average premiums for the benchmark second-lowest-cost silver plan have fallen slightly since 2018, costs vary widely by state and insurance market.

When it comes to figuring the cost of health insurance, however, you need to look at more than just the monthly premium. As we mentioned in the sections above, health insurance is only one part of your total spending on health care services. In fact, if you frequently visit a doctor and you buy a plan with a high deductible and low monthly premium, it’s likely that you’ll spend more money overall than if you bought a plan with higher premiums, a lower deductible, and lower copayments and coinsurance payments.

Premium tax credits are only available on marketplace plans and cannot be used on public health insurance plans, catastrophic health insurance plans, or off-exchange private health insurance plans.

Consider Your Health Care Needs

From year to year, your coverage needs may change. Maybe you have different medication needs or a procedure planned for the upcoming year. Before you enroll in a plan, think about the care you or your family may need in the year ahead. Here are some factors to consider as you’re making your decision.

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What Does A Deductible Do Anyhow

Your health-insurance company should also do a similar analysis for you, though it’s typically buried in the middle of a document that you get from HR or from the insurance company, called the Summary of Benefits and Coverage.

Above, you can see that the high-deductible plan has a big financial head start on the other options, because Insider offers it to employees for free theres no annual premium. And the company will give you a few hundred dollars to spend toward your medical care, too. The next-cheapest plan costs nearly a thousand dollars a year.

I should note that our high-deductible plan is actually pretty generous. It limits the total amount that you could end up spending on healthcare in a given year to about $3,000.

Above that, all your care is free. The main caveat is that the limit only applies to care that you get from doctors who are in-network with the insurance.

All in all, its a really good choice for a lot of people. Margaret Bowani, who oversees the health insurance here, told me that she picked it for her own family and that its also popular with a lot of the companys younger employees.

Ashish Jha, a physician and health-policy researcher at Harvard, has written about his own experience using a high deductible plan for his family. Id definitely recommend reading his article before going with a high-deductible plan.

Do You Take Medications

Whether youre taking regular prescriptions or specialty medications, what they cost varies based on each plan. Check to see if the plan covers generic and brand name versions of the medication. Also make sure you receive your medications from a pharmacy thats in network, otherwise they may not be covered or you may pay more.

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What Is The Cheapest Individual Health Insurance In My State

Important note

The cheapest health insurance policy is not always the plan with the lowest premium. Instead, the most affordable option is the policy that provides the right amount of health insurance coverage â depending on your medical needs and health â at your best rate.

The best affordable health insurance policy for you is a plan that provides adequate health coverage for you and your family. In most situations, this means that it covers the basics, but is also there if there is a serious medical emergency that ends up being expensive during the plan year.

We recommend beginning your search by looking at a Bronze health insurance policy if you are buying coverage from your health insurance marketplace. These plans have low monthly rates, include free preventive care and cover essential health benefits.

In the list of health insurance plans below, you can see the cheapest Bronze plans offered in 2022, along with estimated costs at different income levels. Keep in mind that many factors go into pricing, and these plans may not be available in your ZIP code. However, they are a good starting point to help you find low-cost health insurance.

Monthly rates are based on a 40-year-old non-smoking male.

Check The Exclusion List

Despite the comprehensiveness of a health plan, there are some instances wherein coverage is not allowed. Such instances are called policy exclusions and every health plan has a list of exclusions. When you are buying a health insurance plan for your family, check the exclusion list of the policy.

When you know the exclusions, you would know what is covered by the plan and what is not.

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Purchasing A Health Plan Through An Insurance Aggregator

If you want to explore your plan options further, you can consider applying for health insurance through an insurance aggregator, like Policygenius.

The application process is similar youll input your location, income, and some other personal information, like your desired monthly budget and list of medications. Based on your responses, the aggregators algorithm will match you with a variety of plans that are best suited for your needs.

If youre purchasing health insurance on your own for the first time, using an aggregator can simplify the process tremendously. Youll spend less time comparing plans individually, reading the fine print, and calculating the out-of-pocket costs, like you would with a Marketplace plan.

However, the downside of using an insurance aggregator is that you might not get access to the same range of plans you would get through the Marketplace. For example, if you are interested in an EPO plan, a site like Policygenius might not offer that type of plan in your area.

Opt For An Adequate Sum Insured

In order to find the adequate sum insured for your health insurance plan, you need to find out the total members that need to be covered. So, you need to choose a sum insured that is sufficient to cover the expected medical costs of all the members of the family.

Given the increasing medical costs and medical inflation, a high sum insured is desirable. However, a high sum insured also results in a high premium. As such, if affordability becomes an issue, you can opt for top-up or super top-up health insurance plans to enhance the coverage limit without a considerable premium outgo.

A top-up or super top-up policy acts like a supplemental health plan. The policy has a deductible limit. Claims up to the deductible limit are not paid. However, if claims exceed the deductible limit, the top-up or super top-up plan pays the excess claim.However, a top up health insurance plan considers the deductible for each and every individual claim whereas a super top up plan takes an aggregate for the deductible.

How do Top Up Health Plans work?

Lets understand how top-up and super top-up plans work

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How To Shop For Private Insurance

If youre not covered through your employer, or not eligible for financial assistance through a state-funded program, you will likely have to buy private insurance for individual or family through a private health insurance provider, such as Independence Blue Cross.

You may be able to purchase a plan on the Pennsylvania Insurance Exchange , which has replaced healthcare.gov.

Start by finding out which private health insurance carriers are available in your area. Independence Blue Cross serves the Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania regions . See if private health insurance plans from Independence are available in your ZIP code.

Shopping for private health insurance is much easier when you know what questions to ask. When it comes to health coverage, everyone has different needs and preferences. We can help you figure out what type of plan you want, how to find a balance of cost and coverage, and what other benefits you should consider.

What Does A Good Hospital Discharge Plan Look Like For My Parent

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Kistein Monkhouse, CEO & founder of Patient Orator, a digital startup helping underserved patients close the communication gap with their health care team, says that communications issues between patients and caregiving teams happen often. As a result, it is critical for people to know and understand their rights. Its a highly emotional time and especially if its an emergency, the urgency is around seeking care, not focusing on your rights as a patient. Then something happens and you are left wondering what to do, Monkhouse said. So, what does a good hospital discharge plan look like?

Next Avenues recent article entitled Discharge Planning: Know Your Rights says that hospitalization can be especially challenging for people impacted by health disparities, whether its people of color, or LGBTQ+, women, or older adults, according to Monkhouse. Insurance is a huge driver of early discharge, and in fairness, she said, hospitals do not want patients to get any infections while there. Therefore, sending them home is frequently the safer option.

However, if a senior in the hospital cannot perform activities of daily living, such as getting to the bathroom on their own, getting dressed, eating independently, or taking care of personal hygiene, it is probably too soon. Monkhouse said it is important the person be able to stand up on their own without being afraid of falling.

A discharge plan should be provided in writing and should include the following:

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