truck driver health insurance
Truck Driver Benefits for Owner Operators
Truck driving as a profession is on the rise and many have benefited and continue to benefit from the vocation. Truck driving jobs not only offer security, but also help you climb the ladder of success easily. Almost 70% goods move via trucks throughout the US. Many businessmen depend on trucks for the supply of their materials, equipment and other resources. The need for truck drivers is on the rise and you can surely benefit by entering the truck driving profession today.
Anybody with a knack for driving can become a truck driver. No specific degree is required to get into this profession. However, you need to pass out from a reputed driving school, where you have honed your driving skills and become aware of road safety and rules for driving. Once you pass the driving test, you obtain a commercial driver’s license that enables you to drive through the nation in a truck. Getting a driver’s job is not very difficult; your driving school will guide you on the same. There are recruiting sites as well for truck drivers and they help you to identify and apply to the top ranking companies. Truck drivers get a handsome salary along with number of benefits like bonus, health and family insurance and retirement schemes.
If being a truck driver can help you earn a good amount of money monthly, imagine how much an owner-operator can earn! Many a times, a truck driver drives trucks that belong to someone else. However, if you own a truck, you can lease it to a top company and earn extra benefits on the truck as well as for the driving. A truck driver can buy a truck and lease it to any of the top companies. Earlier, contacts were used to find jobs. Now, there are sites that help you identify owner-operator jobs.
There are number of benefits for an owner-operator. As you are the owner of the truck, the company pays you for renting the truck to them. At the same time when you drive the truck for them you are paid the driver’s allowance as well. This helps you to earn a big fat amount. As there is no middleman, you end up with all the benefits and salary given by the company. Most companies give truck drivers a chance to earn rewards for better performance in their work.
Apart from festive bonus, you get to enjoy other bonuses as well. An owner-operator truck driver can avail of sign-on bonuses ranging from $10000 to $50000! You can ask for advance cash and no-touch freight. You are your own boss and the only person to enjoy all the benefits from the company.
Many truck drivers have eventually gone on to become owner-operators because of the number of benefits. You get to travel the country in your own truck. You are responsible for your own vehicle and hence you tend to take extra care while on the road. Most companies prefer to hire owner-operator truck drivers, as it’s feasible for them. Both the company and the truck driver benefit. Just like other professions, there is growth in truck driving as well. From being a driver you can move on to own and operate your own truck.
What can a person do for health insurance if his employer closes down?
My brother-in-law is truck driver and just found out today the company he has worked for over 10 years is filing for bankruptcy and all benefits ceased as of today. Here is his major problem…he had a liver transplant (not from drinking, he contracted hep-c) several years ago and has to go for monthly appointments that accrue around $75,000.00. His next appointment is this Friday, today is Tuesday. What can he do?
He can’t qualify for COBRA as the insurance plan needs to be in effect. Since the company filed bankruptcy, the insurance plan does not exist anymore. As to the answer that no private health insurance will cover him now, I think that is extremely sad in this country. If he doesn’t receive his medical treatment monthly, he will get sick and probably die.
He is HIPAA qualified, this means he can purchase a health plan but the rates will be much higher than he is paying now. I would suggest he look at an Health Savings Account. You will get some people telling you HIPAA rates will be thousands per month, well in VA a $5,000 deductible Anthem Blue Cross HSA for a 41 year old male that is HIPAA qualified will run $424 per month. Rates do vary by state.
The most important thing is to get this coverage in effect ASAP. If he goes more than 63 days without coverage he will loose his HIPAA eligibility and he won’t be able to get individual coverage at all.
He should start by calling his current carrier, then a broker. If he completes the application today he could be covered by tomorrow.
If he can find another job with benefits his medical condition won’t matter since group benefits cover pre-existing conditions. I would not share his medical history with any potential employers even though it would be illegal for them to discriminate against him, they might because the group rates will go up with him on the plan.
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http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsbankruptcy.html#section3
New Laws Effective 1st January 2010 following legislation in 2010 to take effect at the beginning of first January.