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Important; To Your Health!
Are there any knowledgeable health insurance people who are also reading this forum? This is a very important! I didn't come back from the brink of death to do nothing. Since my income is derived completely as a freelancer in business without the safety net of "benefits" typical to those who work for a company they don't own, I need to deal with situations that many of you can relate to ... mostly the issue of health insurance! Constantly I read about freelance models along with photographers being without health coverage and suffering as a result! I want to form an association of models, photographers and webmasters in our industry that can bring us together to help each other. I have been working on plans for this since I've had plenty of time to think about it while I recovered. See ... I never thought about how important health insurance and retirement benefits could be until I suffered congestive heart failure back in May of 2002. By the time I went to see a doctor, I was in the emergency room hours from not waking up ever again. At the least, the doctors expected I'd need a heart transplant. I fooled them and recovered, enough to leave the hospital before the end of the month. Then I continued to recover until June 2003 when I had open heart surgery to repair a bad heart valve I was born with. MediCal covered all the expenses since I was immediately determined by the doctors to be disabled. I returned to work, but was at risk of losing MediCal, so I started my own business. The doctors have determined that I now have normal heart function and am in better health than I've ever been. No more MediCal coverage! Also with my medical history, it's going to be difficult and expensive to get insurance on my own. So what about forming a group or association to help each other? Today I called up a insurance salesperson on the phone and he was not helpful or positive about my idea at all! In fact, he was sort of a jerk once I told him about my medical history and how I wanted to get a group of photographers and models together who I network with. In a guess, I said that probably more than half the self employed photographers don't have health insurance, and he argued that he sells policies to many photographers, that my numbers are wrong! He said that there is legislature in Congress that would allow for associations to get a group insurance policy to cover it's members but that it is NOT possible to do what I want to do right now. Then he told me I'd be better off buying a policy from him for $800 a month!  Gas prices get me worked up enough, but health insurance at that price! Damn! That is robbery! Other information I've been told is that if I were to incorporate, then I could provide coverage for my employees. So if not associations, then what about other organizations like a non profit one? Anyone have ideas about this? It's not that I want to save the World, but to help a few (but possibly more!) other freelancers on here! So how's your health ... insurance? Apr 26 06 08:19 pm Link This is kinda wonderful. Now that I'm no longer a full time student and am over the age of 18, my dad's plan doesn't cover me. I had to try to find my own coverage and wow!! I don't have that much damn money people! Right now I can only afford the dental insurance that I was offered as part of continued coverage after I was severed from my dad's plan. He, of course, isn't interested in helping me out even though I still live at home. One more reason for me moving my damn ass out in May, if I've gotta pay my own way, I'm not interested in doing it while he still yells at me to clean my room. Anyway, back on topic. Patrick, if you can make this happen I would totally love to be involved. I don't have the type of job where I could get insurance through them and if all goes well, I won't have that type of job anytime soon. Anyway, I don't know how to advance your idea, but I love it. I'm terrified to drive these days because what if I were to get in an accident? How would I pay for that shit?  Apr 26 06 08:39 pm Link Melissa Lynnette wrote: Thanks! The insurance benefits is just one of the many reasons I'm putting together some kind of association to bring some sort of standards to the area of photography that is known as Internet modeling. Earlier I had said something about getting together a group of us who would work together for a more positive 'net. There are two groups of people who give the whole 'net modeling industry a horrible image. The porn industry and the industry that puts 10 year olds in thongs for paysites. Forget putting an end to porn or those sites that border on being CP, it wont happen. They are too well organized, funded with deep pockets and the blessings of our Congress. We can organize and be a force to contend with! Apr 26 06 09:18 pm Link Being that I am not covered through my part time job either, I had to go find insurance before I attended a 2 week course on Natural Horsemanship last summer. I went to www.ehealthinsurance.com and found a plan that covers me for only $155.00 a month. I can say that it has MORE than paid for itself since I've had it. I will now go to the doc at the drop of a hat, and have had several things done and taken care of that I would not have even thought of without the coverage. I think its a good idea, I just don't know how feasable it would be. There are places you can get it for yourself online, you've just got to search for them. Congrats on being in such good health now. its a shame the traumatic experience is what brought it about, but I am sure you are much more grateful for every day now. Apr 26 06 09:20 pm Link Move to Canada! Apr 26 06 09:29 pm Link Unfortunately I can't give you any information on how to do this. But what I can confirm is what NC17 posted. If you do some more research, you can find some pretty cheap plans. I'm in the same situation myself and found good low cost insurance. One other idea that might be more feasible and cheaper is to join an already established association. For example, I know some credit unions also have associations with insurance companies that allow you to purchase health insurance. The rate is cheaper than if you bought an individual plan yourself. I got a notice in the mail a couple of weeks ago that Bank of America in California was going to be offering the same thing. The company where I have my auto insurance also does the same thing. They broker an arrangement with another insurance company for health insurance. Again, it comes out cheaper than if you bought individual coverage. Apr 26 06 09:41 pm Link There is a National organization of Wedding Photographers, and there are Press Photographer organizations. These types of organizations provide standards to work by, as well as benefits such as health insurance. I know we can do it! I wont give up until we do! Apr 27 06 12:00 am Link Joelle Nadeau wrote: There could be other benefits in an organization or association besides health insurance. As much as I love you Canadians, I'm not ready to move there ... at least not quite yet! Apr 27 06 12:54 am Link it was nice talking to you to night on the phone and just to let others know i am convince that this guy is seance about what he would like to do and has some good ideas Apr 27 06 01:02 am Link Joelle Nadeau wrote: I have a friend in Hamilton, ON, who is a nurse. I get the impression talking to her that the Canadian health care system is moving toward privatization. Well, she seemed to think everything was going into the toilet after the last election. Apr 27 06 01:04 am Link nathan combs wrote: Thanks! It was great talking with you too. I did not know until talking with you that you work as a journalist photographer. Well press photographers have an organization and as I mentioned on the phone, wedding photographers do to. I am sure that I'm on the right track with my ideas. You help to confirm that! Apr 27 06 02:48 pm Link Narhan wrote: Well this isn't just about health benefits, although that is an important part of many organzations, but it's about getting like minded people in this industry together to improve the image of the industry. Also to support each other in networking even more so than just through this website. I'll study what the International and National ones offer ... if you are interested, here is a link to start researching; http://www.profotos.com/education/refer … ndex.shtml Apr 27 06 02:53 pm Link Actually two important ones that I'm already familier with are Professional Photographers of America http://www.ppa.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3 and Professional Photographers of California http://www.ppconline.com/ both of which that I've been a member of in the past. Apr 27 06 03:14 pm Link The organization that I want to build is NOT just for photographers! It's for those of us working as photographers, models and webmasters in the field of Internet modeling. Something that will give standards for Internet Models who are members. Something that provides benefits like insurance and training. Something bigger than a single website. Apr 27 06 03:46 pm Link How about the single moms who model but don't have enough money when something happens and they need to go to the hospital? How about my expanding on this topic of health to include the health of children who model? I will put this association together. It's still in the developing stage, but it will be powerful! Apr 28 06 06:55 am Link Kevin Connery wrote: Kevin, nothing I've ever attempted has been easy. Apr 28 06 04:04 pm Link |
