Hello,

I have a question about the healthcare insurance in US.

I have heard that it is tied to your employment and the company provides for it.

So here are a couple of questions:

  1. Is there no way for an individual to get their own personal insurance and not be dependent on the company?

  2. What about freelancers, business owners and retirees? Do they forfeit their insurances?

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    1 year ago

    Yes, individuals and self-employed persons can buy health insurance on the health insurance marketplace. Since you’re one person buying a plan you don’t have the ability to negotiate with health insurance companies the same way a corporate employer buying policies for many people can negotiate. This means individual plans are expensive and coverage is often lacking, but it’s still better than ending up with cancer or a massive car wreck and being without insurance.

    There are also government funded plans like Medicare, Medicaid, etc and I have never dealt with those. Have been a self-employed contractor though. A policy I paid $600/mo for as an individual, self-employed contractor costs about $200/mo for a plan with better coverage for both my husband and I through his corporate employer plan.