Anything that a single mom qualifies for, a single dad can qualify for as well, in most instances. This takes some creative research on your part. When looking for health insurance for you and your children, dads don’t hesitate to Google “best health insurance for single moms” or Google “insurance for single moms”. The sacrifice that you’re making for you and your family is appreciated. Don’t be put off by the false stereotype that all single parents are moms.
What Happened To Obamacare?
Former President Barack Obama attempted to make health insurance accessible to everyone. Though a lot of the aims he had were not accomplished due to conflicts with other governmental bodies, there is a health insurance marketplace that you can use. Through the Affordable Care Act, (ACA), otherwise known as “Obamacare”, everyone can apply for health insurance on a health insurance marketplace website. This one-stop shop is a real alternative as well as an opportunity.
The insurance marketplace is not exactly user-friendly. Thankfully, there are many online support sites to help you navigate the insurance marketplace.
I Need Help With The Insurance Marketplace
Simply adding the above 7 words to a Google search box will help you get the assistance you need.
Healthcare.gov Is A Great Resource To Help You Learn:
- About the Affordable Care Act
- How to navigate the marketplace website, or assist someone who needs help with navigation
- How to get information in a different language if necessary
The staffers at Healthcare.gov insist that the help that you get from their site is “marketplace–certified”. You can choose how you are helped, too! You can choose if you input your information on the site and are contacted, or you can choose to search and locate an Assister, a Broker, or an Agent.:
- An assistant – can help with Medicaid or CHIP. You can look at an online directory and schedule a time to talk with an assistant over the phone, via email,l or in person. Assisters are mostly involved with Medicaid or CHIP. However, they can help you learn which basic type of insurance is for you. They can help you understand if you need government-sponsored health insurance for single moms and dads or if your income falls into another category.
- Insurance for single moms and dads who earn over a certain amount of money is different. Healthcare.gov can help you find a local agent or broker to discuss your options for private insurance. If you’d rather enter your information and get contacted by phone or email, healthcare.gov is the place to go.
Wait, Wait, Whoa! Agents? Brokers?
Typically, when we hear the terms “agents and brokers” we think of lots of money being spent. Or, at the very least, someone trying to get us to spend lots of money. Again, according to healthcare.gov, when it comes to health insurance, agents and brokers are different.
The glossary at Healthcare.gov defines agents and brokers as trained insurance professionals. They can help you to enroll in a health insurance plan. Agents usually only work for one health insurance company. Brokers usually represent several different insurance companies. Healthcare.gov informs you don’t pay any additional fees when you enroll for health insurance with either an agent or a broker! Some other key items to think about when it comes to working with agents and brokers are:
- Both agents and brokers have to be licensed to sell marketplace health plans. Additionally, they must have signed agreements to sell marketplace health insurance. Most states also require that brokers do what is in your best interest.
- Both agents and brokers get commissions or payments from the insurance companies when they sell their insurance plans. Many agents and brokers will not sell plans of companies that they don’t work for or represent.
- Qualifying for a premium tax credit and other savings can occur when you enroll for health insurance with an agent or broker. However, the agent or broker you are working with must go through the health insurance marketplace for you to get these savings.
We are trying to make these guides as helpful as possible. Unfortunately, getting health insurance for single moms and dads is more complicated than it needs to be. That’s why we feel that talking with someone at healthcare.gov is the best route to go. Humans talking to humans usually gets the job done. If you don’t understand something about the health insurance you’re interested in, ask! If you want more assurance about your health insurance, ask the assistant, the agent, or the broker to put it in writing and email it to you so that you can better understand it.
Unfortunately, Navigating The Health Insurance Marketplace Can Be Complex
It may take a couple of tries before you fully understand it. Sometimes you may not understand it completely. Just make certain that you ask questions. If you have to ask the same question more than once, don’t be intimidated! You’re trying to take care of yourself and your children by getting insurance. It is the job of the Assister, Agent, or Broker to assist you. As they say, ask them very nicely to “make it make sense”.
Healthcare.gov is a website that is managed by the federal government. It is also paid for by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That means it is your tax dollars at work. You must understand it to your level of comfort. Assistors are government employees who are paid to help you understand how to acquire and maintain the best health insurance for single moms and dads.
When We Talk About Healthcare.gov And Other Resources You Can Access Online, It Is A Wake-Up Call
You need effective, high-quality cellular and Internet services to best take care of your family. “Going online is not something everyone can just do. You have to have access. Gone are the days of standing at a payphone, feeding it quarters to get information. To get the best health insurance for single moms and single dads, you need accessibility. You need convenience. You have a lot on your plate and you need to be able to take care of your business while taking care of your family.
Let EASY Wireless help you get a low-cost cell phone and internet service! They have been in business for decades and they use America’s largest, fastest, and most reliable network. Working through the ACP or Affordable Connectivity Program, EASY Wireless is there for you. The Lifeline and ACP are a government-sponsored program in place to help you be connected.
Click this link to learn more about how EASY Wireless can help you stay connected.
Check All The Boxes
Check one – you know some of the health insurance lingo of the day! Check two – you are ready to go get the best health insurance for single moms and single dads!
Now that you know where to go to get help that is free and marketplace-certified, let’s get started!
When it comes to the best health insurance for single moms and single dads, it is very specialized. It takes some experience to learn what works best for you and your children. Picking the best health insurance for single moms and single dads relies on the following:
- What you can afford
- The specific health needs of your family
- What is offered
That’s it! These three factors are the ABCs of picking the best health insurance for single moms and single dads. Moreover, it’s the recipe for picking the best health insurance for everyone. It all boils down to the above.
Five Ways To Receive Health Insurance
According to an eHealth.com article, entitled, “How to Find Health Insurance as a Single Parent”, there are 5 basic routes you can take.
Employer-provided health insurance – employer-provided health insurance is pretty much how most Americans get their health insurance, through their job. Labor law dictates that employers with a certain number of employees are required to provide health insurance for them. To learn more about employer-provided health insurance, visit this website.
If you find yourself in a situation where your employer is not providing health insurance, you can report them to the IRS. The IRS imposes a healthy fine for employees of 50 or more full-time and 100 or more part-time workers who do not provide health insurance.
Staffers at ehealth.com further inform that you usually have to pay 9% of your salary towards your employer-provided health insurance. Find out where your employer stands. Read the fine print. Look at your check and see the percentage of your gross income that goes towards health insurance.
You may not like the company that your employer uses. You may choose to go through the health insurance marketplace instead.
Individual or family health insurance through the government-sponsored help health insurance marketplace. This marketplace is just that. It is a marketplace available to everyone. This was the true goal of Obamacare. Now there is a place for all Americans to go to and receive some sort of assistance. However, as we mentioned above, this program falls way short of the aims of the original Obamacare. Through the restructuring by several governmental bodies, we have the health insurance marketplace that we have today.
Once you log on, create an account, and input your income and various other points of information, you are able to find out what health insurance companies are willing to offer.
If you have a low income, you may qualify for a subsidy. The subsidy can be used to help pay for your health insurance.
We want to note here that eHHealth is an online brokerage site. That means that you can purchase health insurance through them. They receive a commission from the companies that they work with. eHHealth also provides great information on the best health insurance for single moms and single dads. It’s smart to use the resources to gather information.
Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS). According to usa.gov, Medicaid is insurance for individuals who have a low income. The services may be free or low-cost. There are eligibility requirements.
You can either fill out an application for Medicaid through the health insurance marketplace or you could directly contact your local Medicaid office.
CHIPS is similar to Medicaid, but it is for the children of people who have a slightly higher income. Again, you can apply for CHIPS through the health insurance marketplace or you can find the CHIPS program in your state by calling 1– 800–318–2596.
It’s important to know that both Medicaid and CHIPS are managed on a state-by-state basis. This is an interesting fact since they are federal programs.
Short-term health insurance. eHealth highlights short-term health insurance coverage as an option for insurance for single moms and single dads because it is less expensive than long-term health insurance. Short-term health insurance is good if you’re in between jobs or you find yourself and your family without coverage. It’s better than having no coverage at all. There is no enrollment. And this is a great item that you can get quickly.
Your parents’ health insurance. For single parents who are under the age of 26, you can be on your parents’ health insurance plan. Your children can be covered as well.
Find out the most cost-effective way to get the best health insurance for single moms and single dads.
Don't Leave Yourself Out In The Cold
Take the time to find out what health insurance is the best health insurance for single moms and single dads. Don’t wait until calamity strikes. Having an incident without health insurance is a nightmare. It can either eat away at your savings or completely swallow them whole.
Don’t Let A Broken Leg Fracture Your Finances Forever
In some states, emergency health insurance is available for such times. However, you don’t want to find out that you are ineligible for emergency health insurance once the emergency strikes. Also, if you’re eligible for emergency health insurance, you’re likely eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. Be proactive! Find out now what programs you are eligible for and enroll
The Benefits Of Having The Best Health Insurance For Single Moms And Single Dads
Preventative care – getting your yearly physical is a bedrock of security for you and your loved ones. Getting on top of major ailments early can save your life or save the life of your younger one. Preventative healthcare is part and parcel of having insurance for single moms and single dads. And that’s not all that is provided. Preventative healthcare includes:
- Preventative dental care
- Vaccines and immunizations
- Vision and hearing screenings
You And Your Children's Emotional Health
Research the best mental health insurance for single moms and single dads. Find out if the health insurance carrier you are deciding on covers mental health treatment. Finding therapy for your child or yourself, if needed, should be as easy as possible. Many health insurance plans cover both online and in-person therapy sessions.
With all the stress of being a single parent, it’s good to know you have options.
For further information, follow the link to access our guide on parenting a child with disabilities.
Another major benefit of having the best health insurance for single moms and single dads is leaving a legacy of good health!
Walking the walk and talking the talk by having insurance for single moms and single dads can be a game changer! Unfortunately, many people who have low incomes find healthcare to be an unnecessary expense. This type of thinking may have been in your family for generations. Believe it or not, many people think that a trip to the emergency room is how healthcare should be. Don’t wait until your health becomes an emergency. Take care of it today by getting the best health insurance for single moms and single dads.
Single Parenting Booster Shot
Being the very best co-parent that you can be should be a major goal. Not only should it be a goal, it should be something you achieve. It takes your hard work and dedication to be a great co-parent. These guides try to support and foster your successful single parenting. This goes for both single moms and single dads. The booster shot for the best health insurance for single moms and single dads is to make certain that your child’s other parent has the best health insurance, as well.
Have a conversation with them. Find out what they are doing in terms of their health insurance.
Your children will be amazed when they see your compassion and concern for their other parents. As it stands, you want them to live a long happy, and healthy life so that your child will be as well-adjusted as possible. Having both parents as active and viable members and participants in their lives produces the healthiest of children. We’re not just talking about physical health, we’re talking about emotional health too. Put aside your differences and take this booster shot of advice. Look out for your co-parent. You’re in this together.
The Take Away
After reading this guide, we hope that you have a much better grasp of the best health insurance for single moms and single dads. Also, consider making EASY Wireless your Internet and cell phone service provider. Having the convenience of a reliable and efficient cell phone at a lower cost is a major plus. You’ll have more money to do other things with your children. Be encouraged, single moms and single dads! You got this!
Now you have real help in acquiring the best health insurance for single moms and single dads.
