supplemental medical plans like dental, or other insurance plans like life insurance.
If you’re recently unemployed, newly independently employed left your job or are about to leave your regular employment to venture out on your own as a self-employed or freelance worker, most health insurance plans offer the option when leaving a job to convert your existing group plan into an individual plan.
Individual plans may be more expensive depending on your personal circumstance, but the costs you might save in working for yourself may easily cover the difference. If you are leaving your job, you also may qualify for the special enrollment period that we explain below. Be sure and check your options there to make sure you save money wherever possible.
Since the advent of Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act, you can find health insurance through the healthcare marketplace either as an individual or in some circumstances as a small business. Most freelancers won’t be in the small business category, but here’s the link, just in case it applies to you either now, or if your business grows.
Your spouse or domestic partner’s health insurance is an option for covering your health needs as it can cut down costs in the long term. Even if you are not legally married, you may qualify as a domestic partner if you share the same home and live a domestic life together, as long as you are not married to anyone else. You can learn more about who qualifies as a domestic partner here.
Your local chamber of commerce, professional association or business groups are all great resources for finding out information about affordable insurance. If your profession has associations, or if you become a member of a self-employed worker or independent worker association, you may be able to get group insurance through these kinds of memberships. The group insurance allows individuals to band together as members of a group of self-employed workers giving a similar effect to the kind of group insurance you would get through an employer.
What to Do If You Missed Open Enrollment and Need Health Insurance
If you missed open enrollment, you can visit the