Page 33 - Work At Home Moms

WHAT ABOUT BENEFITS?

Your homework is done, you’ve selected your business and you’re ready to go full
steam ahead. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, a friend asks you
how you’ll make up for those valuable benefits that your present employer
provides.

So, how do you answer? Can you fill the gaps?

Chances are you can cover yourself appropriately. From health insurance and
retirement to savings, you will find it is often possible to recreate roughly the same
type of coverage you enjoyed as a full-time employee in the rat race. The right
approach to take will depend on your personal circumstances.

GETTING INSURANCE

If medical, dental and vision coverage are concerns, work at home moms generally
have options available to them. Making sure your family is covered should be, of
course, a huge priority. These are the most common options open for at-home
workers:

 Relying on a significant other
If your spouse can get insurance at work to cover the whole family, this can
solve the problem entirely. There are some benefits to going this route, too.
While private insurance policies can be had and aren’t as costly as many
think, they tend to be rather limited in coverage. Employer PPOs and HMOs
will cover more and typically without exclusions.

 Private policies
Unless there are major pre-existing conditions to contend with, it is possible
to buy HMO and PPO type private policies to cover the family. Shop around
carefully for coverage and the costs shouldn’t break the bank. Do be aware
of the limitations of each particular policy you look at. Non-group policies do
tend to have a lot of restrictions and “fine print” that should be considered
closely.

 Group
If your new at-home venture will employ more than just you, it’s possible
you could qualify for group insurance coverage. This means you’ll have
access to the same type of coverage options an employer would provide. The