"Benefits"?

[undersea]

For those who do not have a spouse/co-owner working "in industry" and providing family benefits like med, dental and disability insurance, what is your strategy?

 

[EmptyNest]

Luckily, we never had this situation. But with Affordable Health care Act ( cough ) at least you can buy it yourself...anything else..you have to fork out the $$$ No special plans I have ever heard of..you are own your own as I think many here will tell you.

 

[JBloggs]

In America.
I am waiting for Jonno to leap onto this thread...he will, I guarantee it.
We paid for it out of pocket as a small business (before we realized we would need one person working full time and it wasn't that diff to what we have now that we still pay a large prem for). It is not ideal of course, but I even know some in the medical field who have to do the same. I believe Costco had a plan as well many here got on.

 

[happykeeper]

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners.

 

[undersea]

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners..

I agree that medical insurance became more available to the small biz owner. But I think disability insurance is an 800 pound gorilla in the room. I wind up with a fair number of SS disability tenants, living on 700-950 a month, takes a long time to qualify, and not allowed to work (or they can lose it).
My disability (long-term and short-term) costs me little from the company. I am under the impression it is really expensive for those not covered by employers. But I never tried shopping around for it, even during unemployed periods.
Supposedly, you are more likely to be disabled than to need life insurance...

 

[JBloggs]

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners..

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners.

Unless you have to pay it for all employees. Which you would. Our state parks system are a skeleton crew for that reason. And people gripe about paying $4 to go through a gate.
I wont get political. or I may be banned by Swirt, he has a big "EASY" button on his desk now I heard.

 

[happykeeper]

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners..

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners.

Unless you have to pay it for all employees. Which you would. Our state parks system are a skeleton crew for that reason. And people gripe about paying $4 to go through a gate.
I wont get political. or I may be banned by Swirt, he has a big "EASY" button on his desk now I heard.

.

...but we don't. We have a part time employee, so we must cover the usual...workers comp etc... but we are not obligated in our state to provide medical insurance. We are too small, so we benefit from the advantages we gain personally without any of the penalties. I imagine there are many other small businesses that are in a similar situation.

 

[Morticia]

We buy mine on the federal health care market. Gomez is a disabled vet so he's already covered.
You can buy on the open market, too. Just call a broker in your area.

 

[Morticia]

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners..

Live somewhere that embraces medical coverage for all. A sizeable chunk of money that once went out the door for very bad medical insurance now goes into our business. I think it has been a hidden benefit for many small business owners.

Unless you have to pay it for all employees. Which you would. Our state parks system are a skeleton crew for that reason. And people gripe about paying $4 to go through a gate.
I wont get political. or I may be banned by Swirt, he has a big "EASY" button on his desk now I heard.

.

...but we don't. We have a part time employee, so we must cover the usual...workers comp etc... but we are not obligated in our state to provide medical insurance. We are too small, so we benefit from the advantages we gain personally without any of the penalties. I imagine there are many other small businesses that are in a similar situation.
.

We are not required to provide health care, either, just worker's comp.
I guess I missed what the original question was. I thought it was about buying personal health care.
Disability insurance is also out there to buy for the business owner.

 

[user 26]

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?
i had part time chambermaids and self employed contractors that did the major lawn mowing and things. i only had to purchase the workers comp for employees and had to have annual certificates of insurance on file for all subs. luckily(?) no one wanted to work enough hours to push them into a category where i was required to provide health insurance. like others have mentioned, it was hard work and they often quit - except for one who was amazing.
but i did know an innkeeper a few towns over with a large staff who provided benefits. he had two buildings, a restaurant, moorings, the works. the bigger you are, the more expenses you have and hopefully the more income to cover it all.

 

[OnTheShore]

Various associations, chambers, etc... may offer the opportunity for their members to acquire group insurances through a larger pool, although that could all be changing now with the new health insurance marketplaces...

 

[muirford]

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?
i had part time chambermaids and self employed contractors that did the major lawn mowing and things. i only had to purchase the workers comp for employees and had to have annual certificates of insurance on file for all subs. luckily(?) no one wanted to work enough hours to push them into a category where i was required to provide health insurance. like others have mentioned, it was hard work and they often quit - except for one who was amazing.
but i did know an innkeeper a few towns over with a large staff who provided benefits. he had two buildings, a restaurant, moorings, the works. the bigger you are, the more expenses you have and hopefully the more income to cover it all..

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?

I don't think any of the innkeeping associations have group plans. You might check with the National Association of Self-Employed (NASE) which had group plans available through insurance brokers.

 

[OnTheShore]

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?
i had part time chambermaids and self employed contractors that did the major lawn mowing and things. i only had to purchase the workers comp for employees and had to have annual certificates of insurance on file for all subs. luckily(?) no one wanted to work enough hours to push them into a category where i was required to provide health insurance. like others have mentioned, it was hard work and they often quit - except for one who was amazing.
but i did know an innkeeper a few towns over with a large staff who provided benefits. he had two buildings, a restaurant, moorings, the works. the bigger you are, the more expenses you have and hopefully the more income to cover it all..

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?

I don't think any of the innkeeping associations have group plans. You might check with the National Association of Self-Employed (NASE) which had group plans available through insurance brokers.
.

I think the Maine Innkeeper's Association does offer something, but I don't know what...

 

[Morticia]

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?
i had part time chambermaids and self employed contractors that did the major lawn mowing and things. i only had to purchase the workers comp for employees and had to have annual certificates of insurance on file for all subs. luckily(?) no one wanted to work enough hours to push them into a category where i was required to provide health insurance. like others have mentioned, it was hard work and they often quit - except for one who was amazing.
but i did know an innkeeper a few towns over with a large staff who provided benefits. he had two buildings, a restaurant, moorings, the works. the bigger you are, the more expenses you have and hopefully the more income to cover it all..

is there a way to enroll in a big group - maybe like an innkeeping association - to purchase insurance?

I don't think any of the innkeeping associations have group plans. You might check with the National Association of Self-Employed (NASE) which had group plans available through insurance brokers.
.

I think the Maine Innkeeper's Association does offer something, but I don't know what...
.

Dental.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

It's one of the tough things about being self employed. We have to pay for all of our health care costs and it's a big chunk. That's definitely something that you need to calculate as an expense when doing a business plan.

 

[2cat_lady]

It's one of the tough things about being self employed. We have to pay for all of our health care costs and it's a big chunk. That's definitely something that you need to calculate as an expense when doing a business plan..

Thankfully, we have universal health care but we do pay for extra coverage with an independent insurance company. - drugs, massage, therapy, etc. plus our premiums are a deduction.
No employees (yet), but we may tap into the student job program in a year or two.

 

[gillumhouse]

I went with none until I hit the magic number a few years ago. IF I had a problem, the hospital is required to treat me. They bill me. I pay monthly payments. THAT was my strategy. I still do not go to a doctor for ANY reason but now I pay over $100 per month for what I do not/will not use (because it is taken out before I get MY money). I figure that helps cover Himself and his trips to whatever. Plus ever since I started drawing my pension, we have had supplemental health on him. So far, my pension covers it. If it goes up much more. it won't. But it has been worth paying it considering HIS history. Tomorrow morning we go for his pre-op tests. May 7 is now aneurysn day.