What do you do for health insurance? - JP Fitness Forums

MAXX · 07-02-2008, 02:22 PM

I am considering giving up my high school athletic director's position in order to teach half a day and work at a local fitness center that wants me to organize and run a youth program focusing on high school athletes. My biggest concern is with health insurance, especially since my wife and I want to start a family. Currently, my share for health/dental insurance at the school is $120. But if I drop down to a half-time teacher, my share goes to $800!!!!!

I'd like to hear some options for good affordable health insurance for those who are self-employed. Thanks!

Jean-Paul · 07-02-2008, 03:21 PM

Get your wife to take a job that has benefits if you want to go that route. Either that, be leery of giving up your day job with insurance because if you aren't part of some big group they are going to rip your head off.

I can't afford to even provide insurance for my employees. Thankfully all the older ones who are established have spouses who provide it, or they are young and just go without. I hate that it is that way, but thems the facts.

Aoife · 07-02-2008, 03:26 PM

Around here, BCBS is pretty good, I have no idea if they're in other states with the same kind of rates and whatnot. It's SO good, that plenty of times we've thought about just ditching whatever crappy plan employers have and just go with that. It ends up being, from what I can tell, a very large group plan, because it's basically anyone in NC that wants in, and our rate was 300/mo 5 years ago without maternity. Maternity you have to get at inception or renewal, and for us it would have been another 200, iirc.

Anyway, if you have something similar up there, I'd seriously look into it.

Phaedrus49er · 07-02-2008, 03:40 PM

^^^ What she said.

The way insurance companies really screw you is that it's actually cheaper for a single parent and however many kids to have a policy than it is for just a married couple sans kids. Add kids to the married couple, and you can kiss your Vaseline good-bye. Like what JP said, keep it subsidized some way somehow. Paying insurance out-of-pocket sucks. Trust me, I speak from years of steadily increasing premiums despite having NEVER used it (never meet my used-to-be small deductible).

kfisherx · 07-02-2008, 10:27 PM

I used Time/Fortis for the 10 years that I contracted and it was really cheap. I think it was 200 bucks a month. Of course I had a super high deductable. Fortunately I am in good health for the most part and never used the insurance.

riverbender · 07-08-2008, 10:10 AM

My Chamber of Commerce offers a group policy for self employed and business owner members. It's not all that cheap but then again I don't know what the cost would be without the group.

I haven't looked into it but some, if not all, of the cert organizations, NASM etc, offer insurance for members. I just don't know how good the coverage is or the cost.

Can you drop dental and/or up deductibles and copays on the school insurance?