There was a perfect example from a reader on Yo’s blog recently. She announced that the plan details were finally available, and linked directly to the .pdf the info above was pulled from. The very first commenter came out in support of it (specifically the “no co-pays” and lack of barring people with pre-existing conditions), yet admitted they only “glanced” at the plan. Once the fine print was laid out and explained in context rather than legal jargon and marketing hype, their feelings seemed to change pretty drastically.

Does that mean the writer was stupid? Absolutely not! It means they acted in a very predictable way, just like most consumers do. We’ve become so inundated with fine print that it’s become quite natural to simply skip it and go with the main info points presented to us.

And you’re right Wendy. When you DO take the time to read all the fine print and compare it to other options available, for a lot of people this plan won’t be worth much. The people who need it the most likely won’t get enough coverage. Those who are relatively healthy and only want it for doctor visit savings will pay more to the insurance company over the course of a year than they’d likely pay directly to their doctor for those covered visits (meaning it won’t actually save them money at all, and isn’t that great of a “perk”).

They put the stipulation on it that you have to write 90 articles in a 3 month period (I think that’s right). Okay, but when you look at the whole picture, you would have to write that many articles in that time just to afford it. Then you get the privilege of not having much covered when you need it. It makes no sense.

But, that’s okay, because they offer an insurance option when no one else does! Right. Anyway, I might have been semi-impressed with it, if they had done other things first, like raising pay rates and cutting back on the workers they have. But, they can’t do that if they’re going for a million pieces of content a month, no matter what the quality really is.

So let’s have a reality check for a moment….

When you’re a freelancer, you’re a BUSINESS OWNER. It is YOUR responsibility to secure your own benefits. If you can’t earn enough to afford those benefits that is YOUR problem and it’s YOUR responsibility to find a way to improve your career in general until you CAN afford it. One of my biggest issues with this Demand Studios health insurance plan is that it masks a marketing tactic in a flimsy “we care about you” package. Caring would be paying more or encouraging writers to go out there and do something else that helps them improve their income so they CAN afford comprehensive coverage. Not offering a package that they negotiated but aren’t financially responsible for (like an actual employer paying into a benefits package). They’re doing it because it’s good for business — THEIR business. If you’re a serious freelance writer, you’ll do what’s best for YOUR business so you can afford what benefits you want or need.

National Association for the Self-Employed
National Writers Union
Media Bistro/ Avant Guild
Freelancer’s Union
Writers Guild of America West
Your local chamber of commerce (sometimes have group plans)
Your states high risk pool (if you are uninsurable by individual plans)
A local agent

And if you are about to lose COBRA coverage remember that you should be HIPAA eligible. Contact your state’s Department of Insurance for details on converting to an individual policy under HIPAA.