Freelance Translators in the US and their HealthCare Plans

[Christopher Girsch]

 

 

Hi there,

 

I recently relocated to the US. Having been absent from the US for so

long, I am at a loss at where to go for comprehensive healthcare insurance

and would like to know what other translators are doing. It is very confusing

and complex.

 

I have the names of some health care companies where I am located, but I would just like

to know what people who are not covered by a company plan do for

insurance and if there are special group packages I can join here.

 

While I know this is not directly related to translating, it is related

to those who do it freelance in the US.

 

Any and all advice will be welcome.

 

Chris Girsch

[Alan Siegrist]

Christopher Girsch writes:

> I have the names of some health care companies where I am located, but I
> would just like to know what people who are not covered by a company plan
> do for insurance and if there are special group packages I can join here.

There are some group plans that you can join. I think the ATA has a group
health plan and it is also possible to become a member of the National
Federation of Independent Business and sign up for their health plan:
http://www.nfib.com/page/aboutHome

Unfortunately, you may not necessarily get a better plan or a better deal
than you can get by simply getting private insurance with a good company.
For example, we joined Kaiser here but then changed to Blue Cross (now
Anthem). A good idea is to set a high deductable (at least $1,000 per year)
to keep your premiums down. Another tip is to switch companies or at least
reevaluate your insurance options once they start raising your premiums,
which they will definitely do.

Some smart people open Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), so you can look into
that too:
http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/

Regards,

Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA

[Manako Ihaya]

Unfortunately, AFAIK, ATA no longer has a group health plan.

I also have Anthem (formerly Blue Cross) but they just increased my premium by more than $150 starting next month. It just keeps going up and up.... Copay went up, too. And all I ever do is once-a-year physical. But you need insurance for the what ifs....

I love America except for this health insurance nightmare. When are we ever going to get national health insurance...?

Manako
--
Manako Ihaya (aka Monica)
ATA-Certified Japanese-English Translator
Lake Forest, California

[Adam Rice]

Christopher Girsch wrote:

> I have the names of some health care companies where I am located,
> but I would just like
> to know what people who are not covered by a company plan do for
> insurance

Mostly I gaze longingly at Canada and hope I don't get sick.

Seriously, I've got major medical, which basically means high
deductible and no frills like dental or optical. Even that is pretty
expensive.

> and if there are special group packages I can join here.

I've heard that you can get some kind of a group plan through the
Freelancer's Union. I just now went to their website and priced that
at about 1/2 what I'm paying now (assuming ceteris paribus), so that
might be worth looking into.

Adam Rice :: Austin TX USA :: adam...@8stars.org :: http://8stars.org

[Sheryl Hogg]

I have Medica, a local health care cooperative. Had to go with a high deductible to make it affordable, but I also opened a Health Savings Account with U.S. Bank--I think the current tax-free contribution level is $2,850/year. I looked at several different HSAs at different banks. U.S. Bank had the most basic. Wells Fargo had a number of fancy options for investing but I didn't want my HSA invested in the stock market and there was a substantial monthly charge . . .

 

Sheryl Hogg

 

---

[lumumba]

I have an HSA plan with Anthem. For a family you can deposit (and
deduct from your income) up to $5,950 this year. The limit has been
rising $150/year. The tax savings from this deduction plus the self-
employed health care premium deduction covers the cost of my premiums.
Also, both deductions are above the AGI line, so there are no AMT
implications. The downside is that my deductible is very high ($5,000)
per person.

Good luck,
P. Lumumba

[Christopher Girsch]

>I have an HSA plan with Anthem.

Hi there,

I received many good comments and much information both online and offline.

I will definitely research HSA plans. Thanks to all who responded
with specific information that I can adopt for my own situation.

I agree with you Ihaya San. A fundamental principle of our
democracy is that we can demand change through our representatives and
senators. I have written to one of my adopted state's senators
asking her to implement change for affordable medical care. I
urge others to do the same, if you are like-minded.

Now back to translation-related issues. Thanks for the information.

Chris Girsch

[Alan Siegrist]

Christopher Girsch writes:

> I have written to one of my adopted state's senators
> asking her to implement change for affordable medical care.

Terrific! What was your specific proposal?

[Dwight Van Winkle]

Not this, some might hope:

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/february/president_obama_must.php

There're everywhere:

http://www.pnhp.org/stateactions/

[Terry Gallagher]

I, for one, am proud to be counted among those who support the idea of a single-payer health care system. Having lived 10 years in Japan and five years in Germany, I would say the benefits I witnessed far outweigh the supposed shortcomings. I know this would represent a huge change for the U.S., that the forces arrayed in opposition are legion, and I am resigned to the possibility that this change may not come in my lifetime. But I still think it would be the best thing for this country.

Terry Gallagher
Eastham, MA

[Aaron Isgar]

Hello, Christopher,

I would appreciate it if you could briefly summarize your findings for
us when you have a chance.

We moved to Hawaii two years ago and have been on a relatively-
affordable individual Kaiser plan since then. At that time, it was the
only thing that we could find and get enrolled in quickly. The other
major provider in Hawaii simply would not take us because we had not
lived here 6 months and were not employed by a company.

This Kaiser plan that we have now has some major exclusions that we
would like to cover, so we may switch to a group plan with them or
another company. This might require changing the status of my business
from sole proprietorship to LLC. Hawaii requires employers to provide
health insurance for employees, so the situation here might be
different from the state you are in.

Aaron Isgar

[roy.b...@gmail.com]

Isn't the Freelancer's Union only in New York? Unless they've expanded
or inspired similar organizations, only New York (I believe State and
not just City) residents can sign up for it.

> Adam Rice :: Austin TX USA :: adamr...@8stars.org ::http://8stars.org