Need Private Health Insurance? – Don’t Panic
[8/28/07]
Your company has cut health insurance benefits. Maybe you are working for a firm that does not even offer health insurance benefits. You have recently graduated college and are no longer covered by your parent’s health insurance. There are numbers of reasons why you may find yourself suddenly in need to purchase private health insurance. The first thing is: Don’t Panic!
Despite what you may have heard, there are many options available for low cost private heath insurance, in fact with the current upheaval in the healthcare system, there are actually more options for individual health insurance than ever before.
Even though we are talking about Individual Health Insurance, the lowest health insurance rates are for groups. An individual can buy at group rates by joining a member organization. In some states like Florida you can even be a group of one. But in most states a group needs to be two persons. If you are self-employed and your spouse helps you with bookkeeping or other administrative tasks, then you can likely obtain a low cost group health insurance policy for you both. And remember if you are self employed one hundred percent of what you pay for individual health insurance is tax deductible.
If you’re not running a small business, or otherwise self-employed, again Don’t Panic. You can obtain low cost heath insurance rates associated with group health insurance plans by joining an organization or trade group. For example writers of health insurance articles like this one may join a group such as The American Society of Journalists and Authors, to avail themselves of discounted health insurance offered to their members. Weight trainers and fitness instructors can find affordable health insurance through IDEA, an organization of health and fitness professionals. Pregnant? You can join the American Pregnancy Association. Government funded programs such as MaternityCard and AmeriPlan are discount health programs accessible to members. But that close of an affiliation with a group isn’t even required. People who have not ever been within 10 feet of a cow have obtained low cost health insurance through the Farm Bureau in several states.
These association health insurance plans are a great option for those in the market for cheaper health insurance coverage. Keep in mind, however, that a health plan obtained through an association though comparable to employer group health insurance rates, is not exactly the same as a group health plan. Primarily unlike an employers group plan an association is not required to offer the exact some premium to every member in the association who applies for the discount medical coverage.
Despite what you may have heard, there are many options available for low cost private heath insurance, in fact with the current upheaval in the healthcare system, there are actually more options for individual health insurance than ever before.
Even though we are talking about Individual Health Insurance, the lowest health insurance rates are for groups. An individual can buy at group rates by joining a member organization. In some states like Florida you can even be a group of one. But in most states a group needs to be two persons. If you are self-employed and your spouse helps you with bookkeeping or other administrative tasks, then you can likely obtain a low cost group health insurance policy for you both. And remember if you are self employed one hundred percent of what you pay for individual health insurance is tax deductible.
If you’re not running a small business, or otherwise self-employed, again Don’t Panic. You can obtain low cost heath insurance rates associated with group health insurance plans by joining an organization or trade group. For example writers of health insurance articles like this one may join a group such as The American Society of Journalists and Authors, to avail themselves of discounted health insurance offered to their members. Weight trainers and fitness instructors can find affordable health insurance through IDEA, an organization of health and fitness professionals. Pregnant? You can join the American Pregnancy Association. Government funded programs such as MaternityCard and AmeriPlan are discount health programs accessible to members. But that close of an affiliation with a group isn’t even required. People who have not ever been within 10 feet of a cow have obtained low cost health insurance through the Farm Bureau in several states.
These association health insurance plans are a great option for those in the market for cheaper health insurance coverage. Keep in mind, however, that a health plan obtained through an association though comparable to employer group health insurance rates, is not exactly the same as a group health plan. Primarily unlike an employers group plan an association is not required to offer the exact some premium to every member in the association who applies for the discount medical coverage.
Individual or
Family Health
Family Health
Group / Small
Business Health
Business Health