Healthcare Needs of Gig Workers
Delivered November 6, 2020. Contributor: Alexis Z.
Goals
Identify the primary healthcare needs of gig workers, including specifically those that are moms, young millennials (millennials over 26), and small business owners aged 28-50.
Early Findings
Overall, healthcare is a top concern among freelancers. Freelancers primarily value healthcare that is portable, or not tied to any specific job.
- According to a 2018 study, of those that freelance full-time, healthcare was their biggest concern.
- According to a 2019 study of freelancers, 72% reported that access to healthcare was their biggest concern.
- Additionally, many people may not be freelancing full time in order to keep their healthcare benefits from their full-time job.
- Freelancers in general are more likely than the average American to support the Affordable Care Act and single-payer health insurance, as well as government assistance to low-income individuals in order to pay for healthcare.
- Most importantly, freelancers want their healthcare to be portable — not tied to any specific job.
- 83% of full-time freelancers in 2019 reported they had health insurance. 24% purchased the plan themselves, 21% had Medicaid, 19% had Medicare, 15% received insurance through a spouses plan, 12% received insurance through their work, and 7% received insurance through their parents plan.
- Of full-time freelancers that purchase their own healthcare plan, 47% reported paying more for insurance in 2019 than they did in 2018.
- In order to obtain more benefits, 81% of full-time freelancers wanted to simply take home more in pay, rather than get benefits directly from their clients/employer.
- Freelancers need healthcare that covers preexisting conditions, as one in five freelancers reports "face[ing] health challenges that would prevent them from working if it weren’t for freelancing."
Research proposal:
Only the project owner can select the next research path.