Under 65
Self-employed health cover
For 1099 earners and one-person businesses, where income moves and the subsidy moves with it.
$0 advisor fee on this line, including every review afterwards
When you work for yourself, health cover stops being a payroll deduction and becomes a business decision. There is no employer contribution, the premium is a line in your own budget, and the amount of help you get from a premium tax credit depends on a number you have to estimate a year in advance.
That estimate is modified adjusted gross income, and for self-employed people it is net income after business expenses, not gross receipts. Under-estimate it and you take more advance credit than you were entitled to, and repay some of it when you file. Over-estimate it and you pay more premium all year than you needed to, and get the difference back as a refund. Neither is a disaster; both are avoidable with a mid-year check.
The other half of the job is structure. A Bronze plan with a large deductible plus a funded health savings account behaves very differently from a Silver plan with cost-sharing reductions. For a contractor with a good year and a quiet year in the same two-year stretch, the right answer can change. We look at the business, not just the household.
What this covers
- Marketplace plan selection. All metal tiers from the carriers writing in your county, with subsidy applied and the tax-credit reconciliation explained before you enrol.
- HSA-qualified high-deductible plans. Where they make sense, with the contribution limits and the self-employed deduction explained alongside.
- The self-employed health insurance deduction. We flag it so you can raise it with your tax preparer. We do not give tax advice, but people should know it exists.
- Supplemental cash benefits. Accident, hospital indemnity or critical illness policies that pay you directly, which matters when a hospital stay also stops your income.
- A mid-year income review. A calendar reminder and a short call to compare actual income against the estimate, and to update the Marketplace if it has moved.
How we work it with you
- Work out the real income estimate. Net self-employment income, plus any other household income on the same tax return. We work from last year's figure and this year's trajectory.
- Screen subsidy eligibility. Including whether a spouse has an affordable employer offer, which can disqualify the household from credits.
- Model a light year and a heavy year. Same household, two usage scenarios, three tiers. The gap between them is usually what decides it.
- Layer supplemental cover if it earns its place. Only where a cash benefit closes a real gap. We will tell you when it does not.
- Diarise the mid-year check. Around July we compare actual to estimate. Five minutes then avoids an unpleasant April.
Who this usually fits
- You invoice clients rather than receive a W-2
- Your income varies enough that last year is a poor guide to this year
- You have been quoted a plan and want the subsidy maths checked
- You want to understand an HSA before deciding on a high-deductible plan
When we would point you elsewhere
If you have employees and want to offer coverage to them, you are looking at a small-group plan instead, which has different rules entirely.
What drives the cost
Typical ranges for this area. Your own price depends on your address, your age and the plan you pick.
| Factor | Typical range or shape | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Household MAGI estimate | Net business income plus other household income | The single input that drives the subsidy. Worth twenty careful minutes. |
| HSA contribution limit | Set annually by the IRS | Only available with an HSA-qualified high-deductible plan. |
| Mid-year reconciliation | Report income changes as they happen | Adjusting forward is almost always better than repaying at filing. |
| Advisor fee | $0 | The Marketplace premium is identical whether you enrol with us or alone. |
Scroll the table sideways for the full row.
Carriers we can quote on this line
Marketplace participation changes each year. We confirm your county before quoting.
- Lanternway Health
- Fernbrook Health
- Spindrift Health
- Northwind Care
Questions we are asked about self-employed health cover
Your best good-faith estimate for the coverage year, and then update it when reality diverges. The Marketplace expects estimates to change; it has a process for it.
You repay part of the advance credit when you file, subject to repayment caps that depend on income. Reporting the change during the year reduces or removes that.
No. Health care sharing ministries are not insurance, are not regulated as insurance, and are not required to pay claims. We do not place them.
Self-employed people can often deduct health insurance premiums, subject to conditions. Ask your tax preparer; we will make sure you know to ask.
Related coverage
ACA Marketplace plans
Individual and family plans on the federal Marketplace, with subsidy eligibility checked properly.
Compare coverage
Critical illness and supplemental
Policies that pay cash directly to you when a diagnosis or a hospital stay also stops your income.
Compare coverage
Life insurance
Term, permanent and final-expense cover, sized against an actual obligation rather than a rule of thumb.
Compare coverage
Call and ask us anything. Nothing is sold on the phone.
Twenty minutes with someone who will ask for your doctor list before naming a plan. If the right answer is the plan you already have, that is what you will hear.
(727) 555-0241Mon - Thu 8:30 am - 5:30 pm · Friday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm · TTY 711 · Se habla español
No cost to you, ever. We are compensated by carriers, not by the people we advise.