This post applies pretty much to all independent contractors in America, not just those in the game or art industry or film industry. Those of you in countries with socialized medicine can skip this article, or read it and be amused while sadly shaking your head.
I would question that if you asked most independent workers to identify their biggest concerns about their career choice, the top two answers would be some combination of “finding work” and “health insurance“. One of America’s prime problems today is the current system of health care which is flat out broken. But to avoid getting into a political debate, I’ll concentrate on what independent contractors can do about it.
First, some background. Unlike every other industrialized nation in the world, the United States ties employment to health care…. This makes no logical sense, and it is an immense bureaucratic mess that makes changing employment difficult, adds red tape and overhead for employers, and still requires oversight and involvement from the government. Basically when most people get a full-time job “with benefits” they can opt to purchase health insurance through their employer. Their employer may pay a portion of it, and the employee contributes any difference between what their employer is willing to pay compared to the cost of the actual health plan they select. The primary advantange, however, isn’t the cost, it’s that the employer has negotiated a group rate with its insurance providers, which means that A.) employees get health coverage at a significant discount to independent contractors and B.) employees are almost never denied coverage even for chronic pre-existing conditions.