Health insurance is an insurance policy that usually guarantees the insured access to health care. A health insurance policy may cover a spouse as well as children up to a certain age. Health insurance policies can be costly to purchase under many circumstances. Many people seek out health insurance policies that still allow them access to medical care but do not impose exorbitant costs.
Sign up for state programs. Families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid can qualify for low-cost health insurance in certain states. For example residents of Massachusetts can sign up for low-cost health care insurance provided they earn under a certain income level. Such insurance typically costs roughly $100 per week and provides access to basic care for all family members, including dependent children.
Seek employment with a large company. Many large companies provide workers with low- or no-cost health insurance as part of an employment benefits package. Large companies can negotiate lower costs for individual insurance and thus spread risk among the insured population. Coverage is typically available to the employee regardless of pre-existing conditions. Coverage usually also extends to a spouse as well as any children under a certain age, or even older children provided they are in school full-time.
Purchase a policy with limited coverage, such as a catastrophic health care plan. Individuals facing a very low risk of health care issues can often purchase a policy that provides very basic coverage and has a high deductible. Basic coverage typically means coverage for major catastrophic illnesses such as cancer or liver diseases up to a certain level of expense once a certain sum of money has been paid. Such policies may sometimes be available to individuals with pre-existing conditions provided such conditions are currently not active. This can be an ideal solution for a young worker with minimal health care needs who has no strong history of family illness.
Purchase a policy from a professional organization. The National Writer’s Union represents freelancers in the workplace. The NWU also offers members access to low-cost health insurance. The union charges members a nominal fee to join.
Purchase a defined benefit health care plan. A defined health care benefit plan is available to nearly all, including those with pre-existing conditions. Such plans offer users discounts on access to health care with certain health care providers. In return, users pay very little up front but typically have coverage that may not cover a prolonged illness.