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For those who are self employed - a question

LoKyBuckeye

I give up. This board is too hard to understand.
I am looking at switching careers.... my only major concern is my health insurance. For those of you who are self employed, who do you use? I've just started looking at Blue Cross but was wondering what else is out there. I will need coverage for myself, wife and two children (plus one more on the way). I searched on Google but how do know if it's a good company that won't be gone tomorrow? Any good experiences... any bad experiences??

Thanks. :osu:
 
I don't have any specific recommendations LoKy, but you may want to check with your local Chamber of Commerce. I know that ours offers a package deal to chamber members. The members of the Chamber get discounted rates because they are buying as a group (even though they are individual businesses). Don't know if that's available to you in your area or not, but it's probably worth checking into.
 
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Yep,

Join the Camber or you might want to join the farm Bureau (low annual dues... like $30.00... and that way you can buy insurance through them at "group levels" with all the other farmers... note, you do not need to be a farmer to join, they will gladly take your $30 per year)...

What ever job you are in might have a trade association, you might be able to get group health from them as well...

If you, your wife, or any of your folks are retired military you can also get insurance through USAA...

Just a couple of ideas...
 
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I'm single and self-employed, and use Blue Cross/Anthem's PPO. Basically I read through all of their plans and picked the one that seemed to fit my pattern of doctor visits and such. As long as you stay in-network, the co-pays are low, and the network is huge. I live on the north end of C-bus, and have my option of literally several dozen doctors within 2-3 miles of my house, never mind the rest of the city.

With a family and kids, your premiums will certainly be a lot higher than mine, but right now I am paying under $100 a month as a single 34 year old non-smoker.
 
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I'll be surprised if you can beat Blue Cross. I don't know why they are so much cheaper right now... I had them a few years back and switched to United Health Care because they were cheaper. After annual 30% increases they wanted $976/mo for my family. I now have BCBS (NC) and am paying $480/mo for similar coverage less a maternity rider that we had with the UNH plan.

One caveat, the corporation cannot legally buy my insurance since it is no longer a group plan (this may be NC thing). The corporation can, however reimburse me through a "cafeteria plan". More paperwork, but well worth it in savings.
 
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Thanks for the tips.... I never would have thought about the Chamber of Commerce. Right now it's 50/50 that I will be moving on so I've only started looking into things like this.

:osu:
 
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