National Association of the Self Employed (NASE)

The National Association of the Self-Employed (NASE) began 28 years ago as a way to give the self-employed a voice in the policies and politics of Washington D.C. As the National Association of the Self-Employed has grown, it has moved from just advocacy to providing opportunities, information, solutions, and insurance for the self-employed.

Following are some details about the organization and how it can help you to find insurance solution, if you are self-employed. Remember that there are many different self employed health insurance options so be sure to shop around and so your homework before you decide to purchase. No one insurance company is the best choice for everyone.

Read through this NASE Health Insurance review, check out the reviews of NASE Insurance left by customers at the bottom of this page, and then compare health quotes from top health insurance providers by entering your zip code in on the side of this page.

Self Employed Health Insurance

According to NASE, the number one concern of those who are self-employed is not income, business solutions, or finding clients. It is health insurance. The cost of individual plans can be too expensive for a self-employed individual to afford. However, the income from self-employment is often outside the eligibility requirements for public health insurance. That leaves many self-employed individuals stuck in the middle without health insurance.

NASE Health Plans

One study shows that as many as 25% of the almost 45 million Americans without health insurance are entrepreneurs who have left a job with health insurance to pursue self-employment. This is where NASE comes in. Knowing that the majority of its members need assistance with health insurance NASE provides three options. They are called the Affordable Health Insurance Plans, Assist American, and Association 105 HRA.

The key to obtaining health benefits through NASE is to become a member. There is a gold membership and a silver membership. The gold membership is $45 per month and the silver membership is $15 per month.

Along with access to health benefits, each membership level has a variety of benefits from free classes, to movie discounts, to travel discounts. Once a member, you will be able to choose one of the three types of health benefits offered as well as access the entire list of benefits.

MEGA Life & Health

Affordable health insurance is provided through MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company (you can click here to read the full MEGA Health Insurance Review article). MEGA provides many different options for self-employed individuals who are members of NASE. MEGA Life began over 25 years ago and specializes in insurance for students, small businesses, and the self employed. MEGA life operates under the name HealthMarkets and is available in 44 states. One of the ways they are different than other insurance companies, is that they allow members to choose the majority of benefits they want included in their plans.

The company specializes in insurance for students and self-employed individuals, so the plans are portable. This means that if you move to another city or state or change your business, your insurance goes with you. Though you will have to change doctors and hospitals in your new area, you will not have to do any paperwork or worry about a lapse in coverage. With portability comes flexibility in choosing providers, clinics, and plan basics.

MEGA Health Plan Options

MEGA offers members the ability to customize their benefit package through offering a variety of riders, automatic bill audit, 24 hour access to customer service reps online or by phone, and the ability to change benefits as needed. Riders available are outpatient accident, pregnancy and childbirth, outpatient speech therapy, preventive care, air ambulance, physician office visit, emergency benefits, major illness, and major injury.

The MEGA plan benefits vary by state but a typical plan includes coverage for the most common medical situations. The first plan self-employed individuals can choose from is the Value Plan. This plan provides for basic medical and surgical needs. You get to build your plan to fit your medical needs and budget. You choose the benefits you want covered from basics to broad. Within the Value Plan, there are no network restrictions so you can choose what doctor, hospital, or clinic you want to go to.

The next choice of plans is the Select Plan. This plan offers catastrophic medical coverage and covers major medical situations. There is a deductible and co-pays that apply depending on where you live. MEGA offers an online comparison of providers and facilities so you can see how much out of pocket expense you will have and where. This plan also comes without network restrictions for added flexibility.

The third choice is a PPO Plan. This a catastrophic plan that allows you to choose the providers you want. There are many choices from national providers to local providers. Fees for services have already been negotiated by MEGA, so you know exactly what you are paying, as long as you stay within the network. You are allowed to go outside of the network, but costs will be higher. With the PPO Plan, you don’t have to choose a primary care physician.

The last options available in the affordable health insurance category, is a rider based plan. If you are looking for a plan that is the most customizable, a rider based plan is the best. You make up your coverage just by choosing what riders work for you. This type of plan is for those who are generally healthy and have enough money through savings or income to cover major medical situations that may arise but be outside of the riders chosen.

NASE Assist America

The next option provided through a NASE membership is Assist America coverage. Assist America is a health care option for travelers. If you find yourself 100 miles or more from home, this plan allows you to receive medical attention. This includes with the Unites States and overseas travel. Assistance provided includes hospital care, care of children, emergency message transmission, prescription assistance, return of mortal remains, emergency care, and medical evaluation.

Association 105 HRA Plan

The final option for NASE members is the Association 105 HRA plan. This is a Health Reimbursement Account. It is not health insurance coverage, but is a way for self-employed individuals to save for medical needs. Members can deposit pre-tax dollars into an account that can then be used for qualified medical expenses. Those expenses include premiums, vision care, dental care, and prescriptions. Each year the government sets a maximum deposit amount allowed.

Both the Assist America and Association 105 HRA are free to new members during the first year of membership. Finding health insurance as a self-employed individual isn’t easy but as a member of NASE a lot of the research is already done for you. Choosing one of the three options available can give you the coverage you need.

NASE Health Insurance Quotes

If you want to compare self-employed insurance rates from other companies, you can use the comparison tool on this page. The tool will compare rates and quotes from top companies so that you can see what benefits are included and what premium costs will be. Being self-employed does not mean you have to go without insurance. Try the free comparison tool above now, to see what benefits are available to you.