Working PRN and buying your own insurance?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just wondering if anyone has ever worked prn and bought their own insurance giving them more flexablity in where and when they work?

Are you meaning health or the nurse insurance? If its health, before I got married, I bought a private policy. It was $85/mo. You were covered for catastrophic events, free physical with your PCP, and I think you got a RX discount. It did not cover maternity (that was a add on for an extra $200/mo) and I cannot recall if it covered a yearly pap. I went to a certain website, for the life of me I cannot remember, something like einsurance.com maybe? I saw it advertised and based on the questionnaire you fill out it gives you 5-10 different quotes from different companies. This was in 2009, not sure how these things have changed with the new laws.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

talk to some independent insurance agents. Independent means they are not committed to one specific company. Probably can shop online, like above post mentioned.

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

If you're relatively young w/o pre-existing health probs, IMHO you should be able to find an adequate policy at a reasonable cost.

I hope the new exchanges that are supposed to be in place from next year has some decent options for decent prices. I currently work full time, but insurance takes a lot out of my paycheck. I want to buy my own eventually, so that it's not tied to a job I could lose in an instant.

If you mean health insurance, yes, years ago. I shopped around, found a policy w/a high deductible and it worked well for me. I am healthy, take no medications so the high deductible kept the monthly cost low. I deducted the monthly premiums from my taxes. Did this for about a yr until my spouses insurance kicked in at his new job.

If you mean liability nursing insurance, I have never carried this unless I was required to for a job which has been rare.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I hope the new exchanges that are supposed to be in place from next year has some decent options for decent prices. I currently work full time but insurance takes a lot out of my paycheck. I want to buy my own eventually, so that it's not tied to a job I could lose in an instant.[/quote']

From what I've read, being offered insurance, waiving the option, buying private insurance, then using the premium tax credit will be a paperwork nightmare for employers. If even one employee uses the premium tax credit, the IRS has the right to investigate whether or not the employee in question was offered insurance, and the employer has to prove it. If they are unable to prove it, the employer can be fined $2000 PER EMPLOYEE (all employees, not just the one that took the credit). What a mess!

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... being offered insurance, waiving the option, buying private insurance, then using the premium tax credit will be a paperwork nightmare for employers...

Don't get what the big deal would be.

Everywhere I've worked, if you choose not to buy the insurance, you're required to sign the declination paragraph on the form, which is then maintained in your HR file.

Believe this the general requirement... at least for all larger US employers.

Similarly, proof of all employee covered licenses, training, etc. is also required to be kept per applicable laws.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

The paperwork nightmare is this: if even one employee uses the premium tax credit to buy their own insurance, the IRS will require the employer to prove that insurance was offered. It adds more paperwork steps for which I'm sure there will be some growing pains.

Specializes in geriatrics & profound/mulitp. disability.

If it will indeed be the paperwork nightmare you are thinking then employers had best be offering the best insurance they can. I for one will take the best option available to me and my family regardless of how it effects my employer. I would really have to adore my employer to give a darn how my healthcare choices effect them. For a good many employers the $2,000 per employee fine will still be cheaper than giving us decent health coverage. I personally have not come across an employer that didn't take the cheapest route possible at least not so far.

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
If it will indeed be the paperwork nightmare... I personally have not come across an employer that didn't take the cheapest route possible at least not so far.

Exactly... I don't see what the "nightmare" will be. Employers can readily demonstrate that insurance was offered.

And yes, most businesses will choose their most cost-effective option.

Specializes in neuro/med surg, acute rehab.

I work PRN at 2 different hospitals and pay $145 a month for insurance for my son and I thru Aetna. I went to that ehealthinsurance site and it was easy - let me search all different insurances, choose deductables and find an insurance plan that both my dr and my son's dr accepts.

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