Translation - art & business » Being independent »
Health Insurance for Freelancers in US
Thread poster: Nikolaus Halter
Nikolaus Halter
Nikolaus Halter  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:28
English to German
+ ...
Sep 8, 2006

Does anybody know of any organizations that provide health insurance for freelancers in the US? I know of the Freelancers Union, but are there any others?

Nick
 
Liliana Roman-Hamilton
Liliana Roman-Hamilton  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:28
English to Italian
Have you considered HMO? Sep 8, 2006

Hi Nikolaus,

I am also a freelancer here in the US, even if I am employed as a travel agent for a large travel company in California. Even if I could get the insurance offered by my company, I decided that it was more convenient for me to get my own (lower monthly copays), which I got through Blue Shield of California (but the Blue Shield network is spread all around the US, if I am not wrong).

Have you tried to check the HMO plans? They tend to be one of the least exp... See more
Hi Nikolaus,

I am also a freelancer here in the US, even if I am employed as a travel agent for a large travel company in California. Even if I could get the insurance offered by my company, I decided that it was more convenient for me to get my own (lower monthly copays), which I got through Blue Shield of California (but the Blue Shield network is spread all around the US, if I am not wrong).

Have you tried to check the HMO plans? They tend to be one of the least expensive health plans around ( with lower monthly payments).
I personally have a PPO plan with Blue Shield, it's a very basic plan where I pay $ 118.00 a month (it's called Active 35 Plan from Blue Shield, it's for my age range which is for those who are about 30 years of age, and it's one of the least expensive ones around). It's recommended for young adults that are pretty healthy and need just a basic health insurance coverage.

The difference between an HMO and a PPO plan is that the former tends to be more convenient than the PPO as out of pockets costs (usually $ 10.00 for a visit to a family doctor/physician/specialist), but you have less doctors and specialists to choose in the HMO network, whereas the latter contains a larger number of doctors but the patient copay is a bit higher (usually $ 35.00-$ 40.00 for a visit to a family doctor/physician/specialist).
There are several health plans around, and I can tell you, it can be confusing. I have a friend who is an insurance agent and he helped me compare different plans and coverages, so that I could figure out which were my options, but usually Health Insurance companies have toll free numbers that you can call in order to talk to an insurance agent.

One thing I have learnt though: in the US to get a really good health insurance coverage (that includes also vision, dental and that pays most part of the more serious health problems) you must pay a lot.
This is why I am maintaining my Italian citizenship and passport: in case I need it (knock on wood), I will likely go to Italy to get treatments, as most of them are free of charge or cost a fraction of the price I would pay here in the US.

Good luck! ▲ Collapse
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jorge Rodrigues[Call to this topic]
James Heppe-Smith[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Health Insurance for Freelancers in US







CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »