Uber Drivers Health Insurance
Within the United States, many transportation-industry employees have access to workplace health insurance — including truck drivers, limousine chauffeurs and taxi operators.
However, rideshare drivers are different — they are not commonly offered health insurance through their parent companies (since they are not regular employees).
If you’re a rideshare driver, and you’re not currently covered by a health care plan you can access your own individual plan from a range of options.
The Basics
If you are an independent contractor, such as an Uber or Lyft driver in the United States, you are considered a 1099 Worker under the new Affordable Care Act.
Where Do I Enroll?
For starters, the monthly premiums will be different depending on the insurance company you approach. Just like car or house insurance, it’s important to shop around. Also, always be aware of terms and conditions in the fine print of any healthcare agreement.
Once you choose the insurance company you’d like to do business with, compare notes — and make sure they are offering fare rates.
What Plan Should I Get?
Before you begin looking into available plans, it’s important to understand what’s being offered. The two primary types of insurance plans include:
- Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs) — These plans give you access to certain hospitals and doctors within a network. These plans are more restrictive, making them a cheaper, yet less flexible option.
- Preferred Provider Organization (PPOs) — In comparison, PPOs provide increased flexibility and fewer restrictions. Although you will pay more, you will have more choices in terms of which doctors you see and the coverage you receive.
While choosing a health plan, there are four coverage levels: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum options. Once again, this refers to the level of coverage — although insurers may differ, on average, this is a general rule-of-thumb to how each level works:
- Bronze covers 60% of costs
- Silver covers 70% of costs
- Gold covers 80% of costs
- Platinum covers 90% of costs.
Companies
To find out your options and discuss plans in detail, reach out to a variety of insurance companies, including Blue Cross and Humana.
- Contact Blue Cross (Phone Number: 888-630-2583)
- Contact Humana (Phone Number: 1-800-833-6917)
- Contact United Healthcare (State-by-State Website Contact)
Be sure to write down the key details within each plan, as well as the offered premium. It doesn’t hurt to compare, so take your time — this is an important decision.
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