Self Employed Health Insurance
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As an entrepreneur, self employed health insurance coverage is a top priority when you don't have health coverage otherwise. Locating affordable health insurance for self employed people doesn't have to be a big ordeal. One of the simplest ways to sort through your affordable health insurance self employed coverage options is to use the Internet, where you can easily compare plans, get rate quotes, and apply for coverage.
As the leading online destination for health insurance for the self employed, eHealthInsurance is a licensed insurance broker in all 50 states, representing over 180 leading medical insurance providers. With their advanced comparison tools, and the ability to get FREE, no-obligation self employment health insurance quotes instantly, eHealthInsurance is the easiest way to find the medical coverage you are looking for.
Health Insurance for Self Employed Choices
There are just a few types of health plans to consider, depending on the number of people that need health coverage. These include:
- Individual coverage - If you only need health coverage for one person, then an individual policy may be right. An individual health plan provides coverage for one person, so it is not suitable to cover a family.
- Family coverage - A family health care plan can cover you, your spouse, and any eligible children that live in the same household. One family policy can cover multiple people, unlike an individual plan.
- Group coverage - If you want to provide health coverage for your employees, then a small business group health insurance plan should be considered. As long as your company meets a few basic requirements, you are eligible to purchase a group plan in which you can provide coverage for your employees, as well as your family.
Affordable health insurance for self employed people simply consists of different health plans tailored to fit specific needs. Use eHealthInsurance's FREE, no-obligation service to get instant quotes to help you decide on the best health coverage plan for you.
Self Employed Health Insurance Quotes
With sophisticated comparison tools, eHealthInsurance makes the process of finding an affordable health insurance for the self employed policy much simpler than it once used to be. Today you can do everything online, from comparing coverage options, to getting FREE, no-obligation rate quotes, to applying for coverage. Being able to accomplish all this from your computer makes selecting and purchasing medical coverage a painless process.
Get a FREE, no-obligation self employed health insurance quote from eHealthInsurance right now!
Self Employed Health Insurance Plan Comparison
| Individual & Family Plans | Group Health Plans* | |
| Who is covered - Individual plans provide health coverage for just a single person (the named insured). Family plans provide coverage for the main policy holder, as well as their spouse and any dependents that are eligible to be on the plan. |  |  |
| Who is covered - Employees working for the company that holds the group policy may be eligible for coverage. A group needs to consist of at least two full-time employees, though some states allow for groups of one. | | |
| Underwriting - Anyone looking for coverage from an individual or family health policy will undergo a complete medical underwriting review. If they have a history of medical issues, or pre-existing conditions, they may run into coverage issues. Depending on the circumstances, they may have pre-existing conditions excluded for a period of time, they may be classified as a "high-risk" individual and pay higher premiums, or they may not be eligible for coverage at all through an individual or family medical plan. | | |
| Underwriting - Group plans accept anyone, regardless of medical history or pre-existing conditions. However, pre-existing conditions may be excluded from coverage for a certain period of time. | | |
| Benefits - Due to the wide variety of plans an individual can select from, there are a wide number of benefits available. A person can select the best plan for their situation and not have to pay for benefits that they will not use. | | |
| Benefits - The company (employer) purchasing a group policy chooses what benefits are going to be offered to employees that participate in the health plan. This means that not every employee will be getting the benefits they desire, and some will end up paying for benefits that are of no use to them. | | |
| Costs - Because of the strict underwriting requirements associated with individual/family plans, only "healthy" people are accepted to receive the best rates, with "high-risk" individuals paying higher premiums, or flat-out being rejected for coverage. The ability for insurance providers to be very selective in who they allow to purchase an individual plan results in lower costs when compared to an equivalent group plan. | | |
| Costs - Since group plans have to accept both "healthy" and "high-risk" individuals, the premiums tend to be higher. The fact that insurance providers have less freedom to reject applicants for group coverage is a good thing for those with medical issues, but results in costs being higher for everyone within the group policy. | | |
| Rate increases - The claims history of everyone that purchases the same policy is considered when rate increases are calculated. This rather large group of people have nothing in common with one another except they have purchased the same policy from the same provider. They aren't related, nor do they work for the same employer. They live all over the country and have a wide variety of claims experiences. A small number of people with high medical bills will not greatly affect the premium. | | |
| Rate increases - The claims history of just those that participate in a particular group plan purchased by a single employer are considered when it comes time for rate increases. This means that a small number of people with high medical bills can greatly affect the premium, especially when the group is on the smaller size. | | |
| Who pays the monthly premium - The entire cost of the policy is paid by the policy holder. This can be quite a substantial sum depending on how many people are covered by the policy, their ages, what benefits are included in the plan, and the health history of those covered. | | |
| Who pays the monthly premium - With group plans, the employer is required to pay for part of the employee's premium (usually one-half), with the employee picking up the rest of the tab, as well as the cost for their dependents (unless the employer chooses to contribute to these costs, as well). This generally reduces the employee's cost when compared to an equivalent individual plan. | | |
| Coverage continuation - Because an individual/family plan is not tied to employment with a company, the insured does not have to worry about losing coverage if their job situation changes. As long as they pay the monthly premium and don't violate their contract, they can continue their health coverage as long as they need it. | | |
| Coverage continuation - Eligibility for coverage under a group plan is directly tied to the employment status with the company purchasing the coverage. This means that if the employee no longer works for the company they get group coverage from, or if the company is no longer in operation, then the medical coverage ceases. | | |
* Group Health Plans - Group plans are categorized based on how many employees work for a company. Small employer plans are for those companies with no more than 50 employees, while large employer plans are for those employers with over 50 employees. The above information is based on small employer plans. Find out more about group health insurance plans.
