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Associations for Gig Workers
Some organizations providing insurance benefits to independent contracts or freelancers include Freelancers Insurance Company, Safetywing, Pogo, World Nomads, Decent, Health Bank Cooperative (Health Co-op), and several other organizations. World Normad only covers people that are less than 70 years.
Freelancers Insurance Company
- Sarah Horowitz founded freelancers Insurance Company in 2008 as a portal that advocated for and presented the rights of freelancers. She felt freelancers needed a channel that unites them.
- Freelancers Insurance Company web link redirects to Insurance Noon which is accessible via this link.
Membership Cost
- Freelancers Insurance Company does not make its average membership cost available to the public.
Benefits
- Sarah Horowitz created Freelancers Insurance Company to carter for the insurance benefits of the self-employed.
- Over the years, over 25,000 people have subscribed to the insurance plans of Freelancers Insurance Company.
- The organization has been instrumental in revealing the issues confronting freelancers and how important it is for freelancers to get insurance. The organization also advocates for the benefits of freelancers through media and policymakers.
Safetywing
- Safetywing offers a new freelancer health insurance product known as Remote Health. Safetywing launched Remote Health on September 18, 2020.
- The website of Safetywing is accessible via this link.
Membership Cost
- Safetywing's insurance plan for freelancers costs $153.
Benefits
- Safetywing offers premium insurance coverage for Freelancers in every country of the world. Some of its benefits include hospital treatment with accommodation and options of a full refund for treatment costs. The organization also offers a full refund for cancer treatment, prescribed drugs, reconstructive surgery, organ transplants (up to $150,000), among other benefits.
Pogo
- Pogo offers solutions related to business insurance policies for freelancers. Interested freelancers can get an online quote and advice from its website.
- Pogo's website is accessible via this link.
Membership Cost
- Typically, a freelancer may pay about $500 a year for business insurance, while large businesses could pay about $500,000 a year. Freelancers are required to click on "Get a quote with us" to know the membership cost (Pogo's membership cost is not made public).
Benefits
- Freelancers have access to several insurance resources when they join Pogo. Pogo provides some insurance solutions for freelancers, including business insurance, liability insurance, general liability insurance, cyber liability insurance, and workers' compensation solutions.
World Nomads
- World Nomad's insurance policy aims at solving the health insurance challenges associated with the remote worker lifestyle.
- World Noma's website is available via this link.
- World Nomads insurance policy covers people that are less than 70 years.
Membership Cost
- A one-month policy with World Nomad costs about $100.
Benefits
- World Nomad's insurance policy includes transportation and emergency medical expenses. It protects subscriber gears as well. World Nomads provides insurance packages based on the temporal nature of "the digital nomad lifestyle." Digital nomads are often considered to be freelancers that travel while working.
- When relevant documents and proof are available, World Nomads makes claim submission very easy.
Decent
- Decent offers health insurance solutions for freelancers.
Benefits
- Decent's ACA compliant plans are about 40% cheaper when compared to those of its competitors. The organization offers free primary and unlimited care with a personal doctor.
- Decent's insurance plans are uncapped, with in-network benefits whenever subscribers hit an out-of-pocket maximum threshold for a given period.
- There are no restrictions or charges associated with Decent's insurance plans for individuals with pre-existing conditions. There are medical screenings required to qualify for Decent's insurance plans.
Membership Cost
- Decent's ACA compliant plans are about 40% cheaper when compared to the price of its competitors.
Health Bank Cooperative (Health Co-op)
- According to the Joinrise website, Health Bank Cooperative (Health Co-op) offers an alternative insurance plan relevant to freelancers. This plan is different from traditional health insurance plans.
- The website of Health Bank Cooperative (Health Co-op) is available via this link.
Membership Cost
- Most plans offered by Health Bank Cooperative start at $300 per month for members within the 30-year-age bracket. The premium charges often go as high as $500/month.
Benefits
- Health Bank Cooperative offers relatively low premiums. Its out-of-pocket costs are also low.
Oscar
- According to Joinrise, The Freelancer's Union (a vital resource for all freelancers) has recommended Oscar's health insurance.
- Oscar's website is accessible via this link.
Membership Cost
- The average membership cost associated with Oscar's insurance for freelancers is not available to the public. Oscar boasts of affordable care customized to fit the lifestyle of various individuals.
- Oscar plans have reduced the cost of common prescriptions to $0 anytime drugs get prescribed via Oscar Virtual Urgent Care or Oscar Virtual Primary Care.
Benefits
- A benefit of Oscar's insurance plans for freelancers includes free preventive care. The Oscar insurance plan also allows freelancers to opt for generic drugs whenever it's possible.
- Oscar helps freelancers utilize a mail-order prescription program and creates a relationship with their primary care doctor.
Supplemental Insurance (Aflac's)
- Supplemental insurance, like the one issued by Aflac, suits freelancers' demands.
Membership Cost
- Prospective members can "request a quote" as Aflac does not reveal the cost of its supplemental insurance plan to the public.
Benefits
- Supplemental Insurance is beneficial to individuals who do not go to the doctor quite often (apart from routine checkups). This category of users may want to opt for supplemental insurance instead. Otherwise, these users may want to couple a supplemental insurance plan with one other type of insurance.
- Supplemental insurance is especially beneficial to freelancers. This benefit is evident because a supplemental insurance plan can pay freelancers some money if they cannot work for a while.
- Organizations like Aflac offer supplemental accident insurance plans that help with what regular individual health insurance plan does not cover.
Research Strategy
The research brief has examined several organizations serving independent contracts/freelancers. For each organization, the research reviewed the organization's name, a link to their website, the number of members (if available), membership cost, and a summary of membership benefits. This strategy examined the websites of various organizations that advertise insurance plans for independent contracts/freelancers. The approach uncovered a limited number of organizations with insurance plans specific to freelancers like Safetywing's remote health insurance plans. Several organizations did not reveal precise details like membership costs (but advised prospects to request a quote). Neither did they disclose the demographics of their members or the number of members on their plans. These organizations might not be under any obligation to make the details of their insurance plans public and might have chosen to share some information only with individuals who request them.
The research request also examined reports compiled by credible freelance associations or resources like the Freelancer's Union for organizations with insurance plans specific to the needs of freelancers or independent contractors.