You are an individual artist and also a small business!
Where to get health insurance (in order of preference):
- Your own individual policy (the healthier you are, the lower your rate)
- A policy from an employer or spouse/partner’s employer (easy, but problems)
- Small business group policy (work to setup, but guaranteed)
- Individual purchase of association group health insurance (a number of issues)
Shopping for individual health insurance
Shopping for individual health insurance can be quite easy, but picking the right plan can be tough. You can get quotes on the internet, though you will have to dig to determine which plans are association group sold to individuals, and in which you would own the policy. You’ll want to work closely with a good health insurance agent licensed and in good standing in your state - it doesn’t cost anything extra to use an independent agent, and you’ll get more options, plus the agent can review your application before you submit it.
When shopping for individual health insurance, you’ll need to know the laws of your state, whether you or any family members have any medical conditions that might lead to a higher rate, and how much you can afford to pay - both in monthly premiums and in out-of-pocket expenses when seeking routine and unplanned medical care. You’ll want to check out the quality and size of each insurer, along with which doctors are in-network.
Shopping for small business health insurance
It is more work to shop for a small business health insurance policy than an individual policy. In most cases you won’t be able to pick up quotes online. You’ll have a lot more companies and choices to make. You’ll have to work closely with a good health insurance agent licensed and in good standing in your state. My own small business policy experience has shown that in some cases the responses are slow from personal contact with agents, though that varies depending on the agent. And I got little to no response to my online queries for small business health insurance.
Resources
Go to http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/resources/ for online free web resources including quotes, quote comparison tools, lists of insurers, how to find a health insurance agent, and more.
There is plenty more to say on the topic - one of the reasons that a chapter that I planned to write for a book couldn’t fit into a book, and turned into a book of it’s own! I encourage you to get your hands on a copy of Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped-Off. Request it from your local library if you like. And check out the resources at the Consumers Health Insurance Book website www.BestHealthInsuranceBook.com that will help you to make the best choice for your health insurance needs.
Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped-Off.
ISBN: 978-0979478109 | Amazon.com | BN.com | Great Earth Vitamins Meadowmont
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