Posts Tagged ‘insurance for self employed’

Self Employed Health Insurance Opportunities

Monday, September 26th, 2011

self employed health insurance opportunitiesMany within the population of the country are of the belief that the affordable care act that was passed in March 2010 is going to be a debacle that will take a great effort to take apart. Yet, at the same time, there are a few self employed health insurance opportunities that were also written into the initial bill. The specific requirements regarding eligibility to take the deduction are simple and precise, that you as the independent contractor must follow to the letter. Of course, the first and most important aspect to qualify means that you must show proof that you are the sole owner of the business and you are claiming the health insurance deduction.

There are two ways to prove you are the proprietor of the independent business.  One way is through the self-employment income that can easily be established through bank statements with your name and the name of the business imprinted. In the case of the shareholder, all wages that are subject to the deduction of payroll taxes must also be included. However, one of the major features deals with anyone who is under the age of twenty-six. All employers holding an affordable health insurance policy with the addition of individuals under the age of twenty-six are eligible to deduct the cost of the additional health insurance annual premiums. This is a major change because this was never permitted before the passage of the affordable care act.

Of course this does not exclude the deduction for your own children. It is new that you can deduct the cost of a self employed health insurance policy when the children under twenty-six that you are claiming are not your own children. This is welcomed throughout the independent contractor community because this will serve as a major savings. However, you must be certain that the individual you are making the deduction is not being deducted by any other part-time employer. At the present time, this is only a one-time deduction and there is no word yet that this benefit is extended into the future years.

Another interesting point to make note is the fact that the rules have been adjusted in the case of the Medicare Part B Annual health insurance policies. This particular part of the affordable care act has not been widely discussed, but that does not mean it does not exist. The Medicare Part B health insurance premiums are now permitted to be counted as a deduction on the tax forms submitted by the independent contractors, small business owner operators and others that can show proof they are the proprietor of the business for more than one year.

Although this will help to make the affordable health insurance policy even more affordable, there are still specific guidelines that need to be followed before the deduction is permitted. The first and most important aspect of deducting the Medicare Part B annual health insurance premium is for the proprietor to show proof they are sixty-five years  or older. In the case of a spouse who participates in the business, the annual health insurance deduction doubles.

Self Employed Health Insurance Options

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

self employed health insurance optionsHow difficult it is when you must begin the search for self employed health insurance. How much do you know before you begin searching for an insurance policy? How knowledgeable are you in what your personal medical requirements are? How long have you been searching for a health insurance policy? How frustrated are you becoming because no health insurance provider that you have visited is offering the extent of medical coverage required? No one ever said the search for health insurance would be an easy one, but do not give up yet. There are many independent contractors that are relying on the COBRA health insurance they paid into while they were employed with a previous employer.

This will offer health insurance coverage for about eighteen months, but eventually you will have to begin investigating for some sort of affordable health insurance policy. This means that you will have to concede certain parts of the medical coverage to carry the majority. This is never an easy decision to have to make, but it is a necessary one if you want to protect your spouse and your children. The difficulty with the issues of searching for the health insurance policy that is right for you is with the time you have to do the investigating. After all, you are trying to operate a one-man business operation.

You may even have your spouse working with you a few days a week to offer you some slack. However, every time you must leave the business to search for a self employed health insurance your business suffers. There is a better way that will put your mind at rest and you will not have to choose between operating your business and searching for a health insurance policy. One of the first steps you can take is to write down everything you are interested in having with your new health insurance policy. Take into consideration the out of pocket expenses and the cost of the deductibles.

You will also want information regarding the lifetime cap if there is one and the number of wellness medical physician visits the health insurance policy will cover you for per year. Once you have this part accomplished you can begin to gather information through the various membership associations. This is an alternative way to buy into a group affordable health insurance policy that will help to keep the cost down. You will also find that the amount of health insurance coverage is more extensive when you are able to buy into a group health insurance policy.

Another interesting possibility is to consider the consumer driven health insurance plans that are also designed for insurance for self employed. These are health insurance policies that stay away from the traditional managed care plans to better cater to the subscribers. This is an insurance plan that combines the best of both worlds if you will. It is a cross between the health savings account and exceptionally high deductible to accommodate the subscriber. However, the ultimate choice still remains in the hands of the potential subscriber.

Independent Contractors for Self Employed Health Insurance

Monday, July 18th, 2011

self-employed-health-insurance

Independent contractors and the small business owner operators are unique groups of individuals that have little fear in making the plunge into a new way of life for their betterment and that of their family members. The mass citizens within the population see this happening every day as their communities increase in size with the offering of new business. This type of growth only serves to compliment the communities that these entrepreneurs decide to call home. This also helps to increase the demand for self employed health insurance at a time when others are asked to leave their place of employment. This phenomenon has been going on for decades with the encouragement of the independent contractors and the small business owner operators’ offer to the community has been beneficial.

The choice to reside is an opportunity for other individuals to follow their example and to play an active role. However, these same independent contractors will also have a need to search for a viable affordable health insurance policy that will meet their medical requirements and fit into the monthly budget. Considering the many changes to the health insurance system over the past year is leaving many independent entrepreneurs and small businesses to wonder what is going to happen. Many are under the impression that they will soon have to discontinue the business that they were trying to develop because of the new rules, laws, and regulations that are in the pending affordable care act that will not take effect for a few years.

Many of the health insurance providers are beginning to announce the discontinuance of the individual health insurance policy and they wonder if the medical insurance self employed will also fall into this category. Children are permitted to remain on the health insurance policy of the parents and soon the supplemental health insurance for Medicare recipients is going to be discontinued. Where is this going to leave the independent entrepreneur? The government agencies are reassuring the independent entrepreneurs and most of the small business communities that self employed health insurance will remain available to them with a few additional enhanced features.

One of the most noticeable changes is the possibility of deducting the full amount of the cost of health insurance to those independent entrepreneurs who fit within the government guidelines.  What will happen to the independent entrepreneur who does not fit into the health insurance government guidelines? Since the individual health insurance policies are being discontinued, would they have to seek out the state health insurance exchange as insurance for self employed? What choices will the independent entrepreneur be afforded and at what cost?

Of course, the main brunt of the insurance change will not begin to take effect until January 2014, so there is still time to develop and grow a lucrative business. Even walking through the maze of health insurance providers within each state health insurance exchange will not offer the independent entrepreneur the best affordable health insurance at a price that will accommodate the monthly expenses. Perhaps as the affordable care act unfolds and new changes are made, the future may become brighter than it appears to be at this moment.