Does Your Job Lack Group Health Insurance?
Millions of Americans are lucky enough to enjoy a group major medical plan that their employer supports. Besides the advantages of group insurance, they may also get to pay less because the company they work for picks up part of the tab. In addition, group plans cannot discriminate against individual employees because of pre-existing health conditions. A group medical plan can be a great benefit.
But what you if you do not have group health? Millions of Americans lack any sort of employer based medical insurance. Some of us are self-employed, and our company is too small to qualify. Others work for an employer who does not provide a group option. Many contract workers and consultants fall into this category, as do employees of small businesses.
Private Health Insurance
You are still free to buy medical insurance on the individual or family market. Many insurers offer a variety of plans to people who do not get group benefits.
While you will not have a company to pay part of the premiums, you may be able to take the bill off your taxes if you qualify. And individual rates are not higher than group rates. In fact, for a fairly healthy and young person, they may be cheaper. That is because insurers will underwrite each policy. If a group has a lot of older or sicker workers, rates could be set higher. If you apply for your own policy, you may qualify for better rates on your own.
Pre-Existing Conditions And Low Income Health Coverage Options
Health reform has already made it illegal to single out kids with health problems for declines or rate increases. In the future, adults are going to be protected. But right now, millions of Americans would like to buy private health insurance but have been declined because of some health issue. In the meantime, many of those people cannot wait for affordable health care.
If you been rated up, you may have to pay more. If you have been declined, consider some options.
- Every US state has some sort of high risk plan. These plans can be expensive, and not everybody will qualify, but they provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
- There are federal and state programs, like Medicaid and CHIPS, for low to moderate income adults or children. The Children’s Insurance Program (CHIPS) covers pregnant women too.
- Many communities offer county health systems with sliding scale fees based upon income. You may also be able to find low cost or free clinics and financial aid organizations. The website, PPARX.org has a handy zip code search to help you look.
Hopefully, more help will emerge in the future, but people with pre-existing conditions or a low income do have some alternatives so they do not have to go without health care.
Finding Individual and Family Health Insurance
If you need some help finding health insurance, it is quite easy to use a free online quote form. You can enter your basic information one time, and then get competitive quotes and plans sent to you!