Having the right type of health insurance coverage as a truck driver is immensely important. Many risks come with being a truck driver, making your health insurance policy extremely important. In fact, a trucking career is considered to be a relatively dangerous one according to statistics. Many drivers do not have enough health coverage for their specific needs, and while some trucking companies offer healthcare coverage for their employees, if you are an owner operator, you might not be able to take advantage of benefits like these.
There are a few different types of healthcare options for truck drivers, and even though you might feel like you are in good health, the risks that come with truck driving can be sudden. Because of this, you will want to invest in at least one health coverage option.
It is very common for people, especially those in good health, to create a Health Savings Account, or HSA. An HSA account is very similar to a High Deductible Health Plan, or HDHP. People who are looking for lower deductibles will be better off looking into other plan options, however. Here, you pay less per month for your coverage with a health savings account, but you will also have a higher deductible. An added benefit is that any money that you add to your HSA account cannot be taxed by the government. The money in your account helps to cover the cost of your healthcare expenses.
Another option that people have is utilizing insurance from the Affordable Care Act to get coverage. There are strict deadlines to enrolling, and these must be met unless specific circumstances occur like pregnancy, loss of your previous healthcare coverage, or meeting the requirements for low-income healthcare coverage.
You can also get medical benefits through OOIDA, also called the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association. These benefits can extend to your family, and there are many options for coverage providing high amounts of flexibility. You can get Occupational Accident Plans, dental plans, vision plans, life insurance plans, medical benefit plans, and a variety of other types of insurance through OOIDA.
Other options that you have are getting insurance through the NRA. While this is validated healthcare, the policies offered might not be similar or comparable to full healthcare insurance. This insurance coverage is often best utilized in conjunction with a comprehensive healthcare plan.
Determining a Truckers Risk Level
There are times where people have issues getting healthcare coverage because of their profession. You will want to keep in mind that if you end up in a group policy, your premiums may increase if there is another person on your plan who is a high-risk trucker or has a medical condition. How companies determine risk levels for group policies is different than how they assess risk levels for individuals.
As an individual, your driving record, driving experience, the cargo you are carrying, your insurance history, and other variables are taken into consideration when determining both whether you qualify for a policy and how much you pay for truck insurance premiums. The best way to keep your risk level low is to drive safely and give yourself time to gain experience. There are some variables that you cannot affect, like medical conditions, but if you are looking for the best medical insurance as a truck driver, you will definitely want to do your research. Here at Federal Companies, you can find the tools to help you get the best deals on commercial insurance for truckers.
