Do You Qualify For Group Health Insurance? You May Be Surprised At The Answer

Many people mistakenly believe that the only way to reap the money-saving benefits of group health insurance is to work for a large employer who is able to offer employer-sponsored health care benefits. However, the truth is that you may be able to qualify for a group health care plan even if you work for yourself and do not have any employees. This is because employer associations are just one of the many ways in which a group can be formed for the purposes of purchasing health insurance. Continue reading below to learn more about a few of the other ways in which you may be able to qualify for this type of beneficial insurance coverage.

Forming A Group With People Of Similar Professional Aspirations 

Health insurance groups that are formed based on professional affiliations are the most common type of insurance group. In fact, traditional groups that are formed within a company fall into this category. However, it is possible to form this type of group even if you and the other members of your group do not work for the same employer. This is because most health insurance companies only require that the members of your group share a common factor that ultimately limits who is able to be a member of your group. Limiting membership to individuals who share similar professional aspirations is one of the easiest ways to meet this requirement. For example, if you are currently a freelance photographer, you can choose to form an insurance group with other freelance photographers in your area. This is a great way for self-employed individuals and small business employees to still enjoy the benefits of a group health care policy.

Forming A Group With People Of Similar Affiliations

Your professional affiliations are just one of the commonalities that can be used to qualify your group for group health insurance coverage. You can also accomplish this goal by forming a group using other criteria such as community or religious affiliations. Since these groups can often be far more inclusive than those based on profession, some insurance companies may require you to further limit membership by opening your group only to individuals who both share your affiliation and who live in your same general location. For example, instead of opening your group to all members of a specific faith, you may need to limit your reach to members of this faith in your specific city or even to just a single place of worship.