How to Find Low Cost Health Insurance For the Self Employed

If you're self-employed and located in New York, obtaining a health insurance plan would be a top priority if you aren't already insured. With the rising cost of health care, price is always a key factor. For the most competitive rates going online is the first place to search. Without having to leave your home you can see what most of the carriers are offering and if it's affordable.

Most people who are self employed aren't aware of the options that are available. They usually contact an insurance company direct and are astounded to find out that an individual policy can cost over $1,000 per month and a family plan well over $3,000 per month. There are other options available, most self employed persons can join a local business association that may offer health insurance plans to their members.


One of the advantages of being self employed is that you will be able to deduct your health insurance premiums from your taxes. The deduction will help offset some of the premiums that you pay. However you cannot deduct your medical expenses unless it's in excess of 7.5 % of your income.

In New York, most insurance companies don't sell direct to the Self employed. Rather insurance companies establish relationships with business associations. They contract with these associations to handle enrollment & billing, lessening the burden on the insurance carrier. The companies that currently offer association health insurance plans in New York are Atlantis, Emblemhealth, Hip & Oxford.

Another way to help decide on a health insurance company is to ask other people who are also self-employed what plans they have and where they purchased their plan from. For many people along with business associations the Chamber of Commerce is a good organization to join. Besides the opportunity to purchase an insurance plan, most Chambers offer other business services and it gives you a great opportunity to meet other business persons in your area.

Whether you purchase your health insurance from a chamber, trade or business association you're actually buying into a Group plan. Essentially these organizations buy in bulk and pass the savings along to their members. In most cases these plans are almost always more affordable than individual plans. Unfortunately many shoppers don't take the time out to compare benefits but rather buy solely on price. Whichever route you choose before purchasing a plan, be sure to fully understand the benefits that are offered and compare the offering to your current coverage.