Health insurance is a smart investment if you’re building your own business. It’s the best way to ensure that you and your loved ones are shielded from the potentially high costs of health care. No one plans to get sick or hurt, but illnesses and injuries can happen at any time. In some cases, they can leave you with overwhelming medical bills.
Health insurance not only helps you save money on covered health services, but in most cases it also offers preventive services at no additional cost. Preventive care helps catch illnesses early and helps you stay healthy in the future.
What does it mean to be self-employed?
Self-employed workers (also known as independent contractors, contingency workers, freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners) earn a living working for themselves — not as employees of someone else and not as owners of a corporation.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, someone is self-employed if they:
- Carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or independent contractor,
- Belong to a partnership that carries on a trade or business, or
- Are otherwise in business for themselves, including part-time business.
Some examples of popular types of self-employed workers include:
- Uber and Lyft drivers
- General contractors
- Plumbers
- Artists
Protect your health with AmeriHealth
AmeriHealth offers health insurance plans to serve the full range of self-employed professionals — from consultants to freelancers to entrepreneurs (including many small businesses). Since you aren’t insuring multiple employees, you qualify for the AmeriHealth Individual and Family plan options.
We have a health plan for everyone ― whatever your budget and wherever your business takes you. Our affordable health insurance plans offer access to a large network of doctors and hospitals and various wellness programs to help you stay healthy.
Your health plan options
The best way to shop for health insurance is to get a better understanding of the individual and family plans available. The Affordable Care Act requires all health plans to be organized into categories according to the level of coverage they offer. AmeriHealth offers health plans in the Bronze, Silver, and Gold categories. There’s also a Catastrophic coverage plan available for people under 30 or those who qualify for a special exemption.
All plans cover the same essential health benefits; the difference is what you pay in monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs when you need care. The following chart may help you decide what type of health plan is best for you — based on how much you are planning to pay towards your premium each month and the amount you’ll pay when you receive care.
For example, a Bronze health plan may be best for you if you don’t use a lot of health care services and want to pay less in monthly premiums. On the other hand, Gold might make more sense if you use a lot of health care services and are able to pay more in monthly premiums.
| Monthly premium | Cost when you receive care | Good option if you... | |
| Gold | $$$$ | $ | Tend to use a lot of health care services |
| Silver | $$$ | $$ | Need to balance your monthly premium with your out-of-pocket costs |
| Bronze | $$ | $$$ | Don’t use a lot of health care services |
| Platinum | $ | $$$$ | Meet the requirements and need “just-in-case” coverage |
Depending on your estimated yearly income and the size of your family, you may also qualify for a government subsidy to help you afford your monthly health insurance premiums.
Apply today
If you’re planning to leave a job that provides health insurance, or if you left a job within the last 60 days, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). This means you’ll have 60 days after that qualifying life event to shop for affordable health insurance. There are several other qualifying life events that can also qualify you for an SEP.
Otherwise, you can shop for a health plan during the Open Enrollment Period, which is between November 1 and January 31.
Don’t wait to invest in your health. Let AmeriHealth take care of insuring your health, so you can take care of your business.
Coverage issued by AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. and/or AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey.