Do you dream about becoming an entrepreneur? Perhaps you’re a newly launched small business owner working around the clock trying to get your business off the ground. Ever wonder what do entrepreneurs do for health insurance? Whatever stage you’re at in your self employed career path, it’s never too early to start thinking and planning for your health insurance needs. One place a lot of self employed people turn to these days is eHealthInsurance.com. Ok so, what is eHealthInsurance?
eHealthInsurance is the leading online based source for health insurance products that is easy to understand, lets you compare a huge range of plans, and presents health insurance info in a transparent user-friendly format. Several of my friends running online based companies have health insurance coverage through eHealthInsurance and rave about the simplicity, service, and how easy it is to find a plan you like that you can also afford.
What is eHealthInsurance? Background Info & Stats
- They’ve got experience! eHealthInsurance was founded back in 1997
- Headquarters is in Mountain View, California right in the heart of Silicon Valley
- Had the nation’s first Internet-based health insurance policy sale and still leads the market today
- Customer service support 24/7
- Insures over 3 million customers
- Licensed in all 50 US states
- Partners with over 180 health insurance companies
- Has over 10,000 products including maternity coverage, PPO plans, emergency only coverage, travel insurance, short-term plans, dental, vision
- They stand behind their best prices, which are price fixed by law
- They don’t charge sneaky extra fees
- Fast online application process, approvals within 24 hours a lot of the time
- Helpful customer reviews
- Online Media Center with helpful videos
You Name It, They’ve Got It
It’s definitely one of those one-stop shopping resources when it comes to health insurance. A lot of companies use completely different providers for dental insurance versus typical health insurance, but you can shop for everything in one place with eHealthInsurance. If you want to live a mobile lifestyle, you’ll want to check out their travel and international insurance plans. There are also plenty of affordable plans for individuals, small businesses, and families. They even have plans for Medicare, HMOs, pre-existing condition plan (PCIP) coverage, and life insurance.
Ha you can even get insurance for your pet! Although I don’t really think pet insurance is necessary unless you’re super, super attached to your precious fur ball and are willing to drive anywhere to get vet care.
How Much Does eHealthInsurance Cost?
The media has brainwashed us into believing that health insurance means expensive, complicated plans that only experts can navigate and understand. Looking for affordable health insurance? Well, the nice thing about eHealthInsurance is you only pay for what you want, the plans descriptions are user-friendly, and you can get help at any time. One of my friends who is in her early 30’s and healthy only pays about $130/month for emergency coverage through eHealthInsurance. She’s happy with her coverage because she doesn’t really need more protection than that right now. Not everyone is comfortable with that type of plan though, which is why you can get more comprehensive coverage if you want.
There are many plans for less than $100/month for young individuals who are healthy and don’t smoke, so don’t let the media trick you into believing that you can’t afford to buy your own health insurance. Just keep in mind that some of these cheaper plans can have high deductibles and coinsurance coverage can vary. One example quote is a PPO plan that costs $95/month with a $3500 deductible, 50% coinsurance, $40 for first 2 office visits (deductible waived), then 50% after deductible. Another plan also at $95/month has a $4500 deducible, no coinsurance, and no cost for office visits after the deductible is paid. Not bad if you’re in good shape and just want coverage for an emergency.
Plans vary in price based on your gender, age, and location. The nice thing about eHealthInsurance though is that you can browse quotes and plans for free with no obligation! So even if you’re not launching your own small business right this minute, you can already take a look at the types of plans that might be interested in purchasing later so you can start building a budget now and set some personal finance goals.
When You Work For Yourself, It’s Up To You To Find A Good Health Insurance Plan
Right now my health insurance is paid for by my day job, but I won’t have coverage from them forever. I plan to make an exit from the mainstream corporate world in a few years, going from part-time to full-time self employment. I love to plan and prepare for the future, so I think about what kind of health insurance I’ll need to get a lot. I recently had a health scare that really made me count my blessings, appreciate good doctors and nurses, and truly be thankful for having health insurance coverage when I really needed it. That experience reminds me daily why we should never take our health for granted.
When you work for a company, it’s easy to under appreciate all the benefits that they provide. You never have to worry about understanding quarterly estimated taxes, getting business licenses, or finding the best insurance plans. All you have to do is show up on time, do your work, and HR figures out the rest for you.
When you become a self employed small business owner though, you have to wear a ton of different hats like CEO, Controller, HR Manager, Head of Sales & Marketing, Product Development Director, etc., and trying to figure out how to get health insurance can seem overwhelming. But it really doesn’t have to be stressful, time consuming, or frustrating to find the coverage you want! We all want to believe we’re invisible, but we’re not and having insurance can save you a ton of stress.
Untemplaters, what type of health insurance coverage do you have? Are you happy with your plan? Are you considering buying online health insurance?
Wow! I never thought that a health insurance can cost this cheap. I like that they offer a wide selection of plans to fit their customers’ needs. Though I am still working in a company as of the moment, I plan on retiring when I get 45, so I’m going to need some high quality cheap health insurance.
Yeah I was surprised too at how many different plans I saw for less than $100/month. It’s hard to say if the rates will be that low for people in their mid 40’s but I like how eHealth’s prices are restricted by law so they aren’t overcharging an arm and a leg for their plans.
Interesting article, Sydney! My parents are visiting in few months. I wonder if eHealthinsurance also provides visitors’ insurance policy. I certainly will find out as my parents are old, and they may need care while they visit here in the States.
That I’m not sure of, but it could be possible since they offer travel insurance and short term policies. They have customer service 24/7 so it’s worth giving them a ring to see what kind of options they may have. Insurance coverage can be limited or not even work when traveling overseas so it’s very proactive of you to be thinking about your parents coming to visit you.
Thank goodness for the internet! Health insurance costs are absurd, and I’m so thankful there are companies like eHealthInsurance to find the best rates and policies for everyone. I’ve met a handful of them here in SF, and they are doing good things.
Just think how much price and care differential there was before the internet, and before this company!
Health insurance is huge, and I don’t want to get into financial calamity without it.
Yeah it’s cool they are based right in Mountain View. It’s really amazing how much we can do on the internet now, and I’m impressed eHealthInsurance has been around since 1997. I’m not even sure I had an email account in ’97 lol.
I paid for Kaiser insurance once out of my own pocket when I was in between jobs once, but if I ever need to buy my own health insurance in the future I’m going to go the eHealth route. So much easier to set up and a ton more plans, options, and doctors to choose from.
1997… hmmm… yup, just got online around then!
Temporary health insurance sounds interesting, as it fulfills a need and is probably more flexible in between jobs.
I’ll have to write about this. thx!
I’ve often wondered how or who the self-employed turn to for health insurance when they are on their own. $100/month is really not bad at all …
I used to wonder the exact same thing. I always figured it would be super complicated and time consuming to figure out. So I was happy to hear from my self employed friends how it’s really not hard at all to find health insurance, and eHealth makes it so easy since everything is online. And they have a nice comparison feature. Yeah, $100/month or so for a young, single person isn’t bad at all. That’s less than what a lot of people pay on gas and commuting a month!