| Surveys of self-employed individuals | | | | represent the best value for you today. |
| consistently show that one of their major | | | | |
| concerns is the ability to buy affordable | | | | 4. Use student medical plans and foreign |
| health insurance. One in 4 self-employed | | | | travel plans if you qualify. These plans |
| persons has no health insurance today even | | | | offer better deals than traditional coverage. |
| tough more than 70% of these people could | | | | |
| afford to buy high quality health insurance | | | | 5. Choose a higher deductible. By taking a |
| if they had an effective buying strategy. | | | | $1000 deductible, you will save more than |
| | | | $1000 in premium payments over a year's time. |
| 1. Have a budget and set realistic | | | | This should be an easy decision from a |
| expectations. Realize that the purpose of | | | | mathematical viewpoint, but still many people |
| insurance is to cover unexpected and | | | | buy policies with a low deductible. It makes |
| otherwise unmanageable expenses. Most good | | | | no financial sense to pay an insurance |
| plans cover "ordinary and necessary medical | | | | company $1000 in premiums for medical care |
| expenses" but not your health club | | | | that you could buy for $600 cash. |
| membership. Look for coverage that provides | | | | |
| protection but avoid being drawn in by the | | | | 6. Choose indemnity type coverage and avoid |
| marketing sizzle. Do not buy health insurance | | | | HMOs. This lets you and the doctor that you |
| with the primary intention of picking up the | | | | choose maintain control of your own medical |
| cost of your existing ordinary medical | | | | care. This saves money in the long run by |
| expenses like prescriptions, routine dental | | | | allowing the best course of treatment from |
| care and annual check-ups. Health plans exist | | | | the outset of any medical condition. |
| for almost every budget. Remember that no one | | | | |
| is excluded from receiving medical care for | | | | 7. Use the Internet. Technology now allow for |
| an acute condition because of the type of | | | | online pricing and enrollment with policies |
| their health insurance plan, but rather | | | | issued within 24 hours. Savings have resulted |
| medical treatment may be denied because they | | | | in lower premium prices. Some plans offer |
| don?t have any insurance coverage at all. | | | | premiums as low as $25 per month for |
| | | | catastrophic coverage for young people. |
| 2. Realize that there are trade-offs in every | | | | |
| health plan. The lowest priced high quality | | | | 8. Avoid the scams. Unfortunately, |
| health insurance plans excluded coverage for | | | | self-employed individuals are a prime target |
| pre-existing medical conditions and require | | | | market of numerous health plan marketing |
| periodic re-enrollment. It is often better to | | | | scams. State insurance departments |
| take the less expensive insurance any pay for | | | | continuously shut down disreputable plans, |
| small uncovered expenses yourself. But if you | | | | but new ones sprout up just as quickly. |
| need to find ?full takeover? coverage, then | | | | Well-established and reputable health plans |
| you cannot expect to be offered the insurer?s | | | | are obtained from well-established and |
| lowest rating. | | | | reputable distributors. Good health plans do |
| | | | not use multi-level marketing schemes. All |
| 3. Think short term. Most individual health | | | | individuals handling your health plans |
| insurance policies for self-employed persons | | | | enrollment should be licensed, bonded and |
| actually stay in force less than a year. Buy | | | | insured. Beware of individuals who claim that |
| the plan that offers you the best deal right | | | | they do not need an insurance license in your |
| now and do not worry about whether it will be | | | | state or can not provide evidence of errors |
| available in a year. In 12 months, a whole | | | | and omission coverage or a bond issued by an |
| new generation of health plans will be | | | | insurance company. Remember the old adage ?if |
| available. It would not be smart to keep the | | | | it sounds too good to be true??. This |
| same plan for more than two years because new | | | | certainly applies when shopping for health |
| plans are evolving rapidly. A plan that you | | | | insurance. |
| bought more than 2 years old would not likely | | | | |