Browsing the Health Marketplace, Made Easy with Catch!
We’re proud to announce that we’ve joined forces with benefits platform Catch to provide access to high-quality, affordable plans designed for the 60M+ independent workers nationwide. With this partnership, we hope to bridge the gap for freelancers who have historically struggled with finding affordable and tailored insurance options. Catch's role as an official partner of Healthcare.gov means independent workers will have access to high-quality, affordable plans on the health insurance marketplace.
Read below to learn more about Catch, and set a reminder to come back to our page on Nov 1st, 2024 to enroll in a health plan.
What’s the Health Insurance Marketplace?
The Health Insurance Marketplace was created by the government as a place to shop for and enroll in health insurance. You might also hear Marketplace plans referred to as individual plans, ACA plans, or Obamacare plans.
So how does Catch help?
Government and insurance websites can be confusing to navigate, slow, or outdated. Catch simplifies the process of finding the best plan at the best price for you and your family by recommending plans based on your profile and preferences, and allowing you to easily sort and compare different plans. All the plans Catch offers access to are ACA-compliant, which means they cover essential health benefits like preventive care, and are available even to folks with pre-existing conditions.
Catch also helps make sure that you’re getting the tax credits you’re qualified for to lower your premium and out-of-pocket costs (don’t know what these are? Check out our freelance guide to health insurance). When you’re buying through the Marketplace, you’re often eligible for heavily subsidized or even free plans. You can read more about how government subsidized plans work here: https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2024/10/15/free-or-subsidized-plans-for-freelance-health-insurance/
These savings can really add up: most people buying insurance through the Marketplace save over $400 each month. When you share information about your household and estimated income, Catch will help you apply for financial assistance (even if you don’t think you’re eligible!) and automatically apply advanced premium tax credits (APTCs), which come in the form of a discount to your monthly premium. Don't miss out on the savings you qualify for!
How do I enroll?
Getting your plan options and estimated discounts is simple. Click here or scroll to the bottom of this page to get started, or read on to learn about the sign-up process.
- Enter your zip code and information about who needs coverage into the Catch benefits portal:
- Submit your household income. Figuring out your household income as a freelancer can be tricky, so if you have any questions, you can visit our blog to read about the best way to estimate your yearly income.
- After browsing and comparing plans, you’ll choose the best option for your health needs. You’ll be redirected to Catch’s website, and prompted to create an account:
- Sign the broker consent form that gives Catch permission to securely and safely act as your health insurance broker:
- Follow the instructions on how to enroll or take the option to work with a dedicated Catch representative for assistance in the enrollment process.
It’s that easy! If you run into any roadblocks or want a human to help you through the process, Catch support is available to help: https://catch.co/contact. We're proud to offer Catch’s access to the marketplace and help freelancers focus on their work with the peace of mind that they have the health coverage they need.