If you’re a part-time employee, there’s a good chance you won’t receive health insurance benefits from your company. If this is the case, it can be difficult to find affordable coverage that fits into your budget. But don’t worry! There are still plenty of options available to get covered if you don’t have health insurance through work.
In this post, we find out Can You Get Health Insurance With A Part Time Job, companies that offer health insurance immediately, how many hours does an employee have to work to get health insurance, and do part time jobs provide health insurance.
Can You Get Health Insurance With A Part Time Job
If you’re a part-time employee, there’s a good chance you won’t receive health insurance benefits from your company.
If you’re a part-time employee, there’s a good chance you won’t receive health insurance benefits from your company. That’s because most companies base their benefits on the number of hours worked. If you’re only working part time, then your employer may not offer health insurance as an option for coverage.
The same thing applies if you work as an independent contractor or contractor, rather than actually being employed by someone else directly (like Uber drivers).
You can still get covered under your parents’ health insurance plan, even if they don’t claim you as a dependent.
You may be surprised to learn that you can still get covered under your parents’ health insurance plan, even if they don’t claim you as a dependent.
Depending on your situation and the type of plan they have (if they are insured at all), this can mean that you can be covered under your parents’ insurance all year long or just during certain parts of the calendar year. So before worrying about getting your own coverage, double check with them to see what their options are!
But as a part-time employee without health insurance benefits through work, there are a handful of options to get covered that you should consider.
But as a part-time employee without health insurance benefits through work, there are a handful of options to get covered that you should consider. Talk to your parents about getting on their plan if they have one. If not, look into a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) with the help of your state’s health insurance marketplace. These plans tend to be much cheaper than more traditional plans because they have lower monthly premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs in case of emergency or illness.
Also consider investing in an HSA (Health Savings Account). This is like a bank account where you put money aside specifically for medical expenses so that when you do need coverage, there’s money available right away and will help offset the cost of monthly premiums going forward. Another option is a catastrophic plan—these cover only major medical issues such as accidents and hospitalization while leaving everything else uncovered until it reaches over $6K annually per person or $13K annually per family unit under 65 years old when applicable before tax credits kick in at 100% federal subsidy level once met deductibles have been met up front.”
Even if you’re not employed, or have very few job options, there are still ways to get health insurance coverage.
Even if you’re not employed, or have very few job options, there are still ways to get health insurance coverage. Medicaid is a government program that provides low-income individuals with free health care. Medicare is a federal health program for those over 65 years old and some people with disabilities. If you’re covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, then you may be eligible for Medicaid or receive subsidies to help pay your monthly premium.
If you don’t qualify for these options, then consider looking into health insurance plans offered through an employer or family member’s employer. Some employers offer employee only plans which may be less expensive than family plans; in this case it might make sense to cover yourself instead of adding another person onto your plan who will use fewer benefits than they cost in premiums each month! You can also check out special deals like those offered by MediGold where they’ll match any available discounts offered by major insurance providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Health Connector Plan (HCP) HMO Plan 125046230862048360012504623086204836001250462308620483600125046230862048360012504623086204836002
Getting health insurance is one of the first steps toward keeping yourself healthy and protecting your financial future in the long term.
If you’re a college student, there are plenty of options for health insurance coverage. You can get coverage through your school or university, or you can purchase insurance directly from an insurance company.
Here’s what you need to know about each option:
There are plenty of options for getting coverage if you don’t have health insurance through work.
The short answer is yes. There are plenty of options for getting coverage if you don’t have health insurance through work.
The long answer is well, it depends on what kind of job you have and how much money you make. But generally speaking, there’s no reason to be uninsured when there are so many affordable options available to everyone in America today.
Let’s start with the basics: why do people need health insurance? Health care costs are rising every year and being sick can really put a ding in your bank account. Getting sick without coverage means high medical bills that might take years to pay off—and if your illness is serious enough, it could even lead to bankruptcy! That’s not something anyone wants to deal with while they’re trying their best to get better or recover from surgery or an injury (or both). In fact, according to studies done by The Commonwealth Fund and other organizations like Rand Corporation & Harvard University Center for Population Health Policy Research Center For American Progress , having access tot eh right doctors at the right time has been shown time after time again how important this kind of medical care can be–so much so that some states even offer coverage specifically designed just for children with chronic conditions who otherwise would struggle paying out-of-pocket expenses every month just trying keep them alive — especially those families whose incomes fall below 200% poverty level line .
companies that offer health insurance immediately
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Going without medical coverage or losing access to affordable health insurance can be scary. It may feel as though expensive medical bills and debt are just one accident or illness away. As a result, most of us feel that health insurance is one of the types of insurance coverage we need.
If you find yourself in this situation, one option to get health care coverage could be applying to part-time jobs with health insurance. While health insurance is most often thought of as being reserved for full-time employees, more and more employers are now extending these kind of full-time benefits to their part-time workforce as well.
14 companies that offer health insurance to part-time employees
While health insurance is becoming an in-demand benefit even for part-time jobs, it is not a benefit that is required for part-time workers. When it is offered, it must at least meet the requirements outlined in the Affordable Care Act. And even though more part-time jobs with health insurance exist, it can still take some legwork to track them down.
If you need a part-time job to help you get health insurance, we’ve got you covered. We tracked down a dozen major employers that extend medical plans and some other truly great benefits to their part-time staff to assist you with your job search. These are some of the best jobs that offer benefits for part-time work.
1. Starbucks
Part-time employees become eligible for health insurance after clocking 240 work hours over the course of three consecutive months (an average of 20 hours per week). They must keep up this average to maintain eligibility for health insurance. Starbucks’ health coverage offerings include medical, dental, and vision plans.
Starbucks offers other valuable benefits to part-time employees, too. Its “College Achievement Plan” pays for 100% of tuition at Arizona State University’s online bachelor’s degree programs. Starbucks also has retirement benefits and a stock purchase program. It offers a generous 401k program that matches 100% of the first 5% of pay contributed, and fully vests immediately. Last but not least, Starbucks offers competitive paid time off that includes vacation time and sick leave. Turns out coffee isn’t the only benefit to being a barista!
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2. Amazon
The online retailer has warehouses and offices around the U.S., and offers health insurance to part-time employees that are scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week. In addition to medical plans, Amazon also extends enrollment in dental and vision insurance plans to part-time workers.
On top of this, Amazon also provides a 401k with a 50% match of up to 4% of the employees’ pay (for a total match worth 2%). Part-time employees can also access flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for health care and dependent care, which allow them to use pretax earnings to cover qualifying expenses.
3. Walmart
Another place to look for part-time jobs with health insurance is at Walmart. This department store has health care options for both part-timers and full-time workers. It does specify that most employees must work an average of 30 hours per week, though some part-time workers can be eligible with as little as 24 hours per week.
Walmart has some other attractive elements in its benefits package, too, such as education assistance for training, degrees, or certificates relevant to retail work. It also offers bonuses for employees based on store performance, granted to both full- and part-time employees.
4. Lowe’s
As a worker at this popular home improvement store, part-time associates can enroll in a preventive health care plan. This plan covers 100% of wellness visits and up to four primary care per year, as well as some coverage for prescription drugs. In addition to the medical plan, part-timers can also elect to enroll in a dental or vision plan. Lowe’s part-time employees become eligible for these health insurance plans after continuous employment for 89 days.
P.S. If home improvement is your thing, you should know that Home Depot offers part-timer benefits that include dental and vision plans, disability insurance, and life insurance.
5. Costco
This warehouse retailer offers health coverage to part-time employees for medical care, vision and hearing, dental care, and prescription drugs. On top of this, Costco employees can access plans for short-term disability, life, or long-term care insurance.
Part-time employees are eligible in the second month after they have clocked at least 450 hours. Employees can add spouses, children, and domestic partners to their plans and pay part of these costs through payroll contributions.
6. Ikea
At Ikea, workers are considered full-time when they work 20 hours or more per week. This gives part-time employees and their dependents access to similar benefits to those working up to 40 hours, including medical, dental, and vision plans.
The Swedish-based company also offers tuition assistance, parent insurance, generous paid time off, and discounts on store items and meals.
7. UPS
Part-time workers at the United Parcel Service, or UPS, receive medical, dental, vision, hearing, and other coverage through TeamstersCare. They will need to work more than 225 hours in a three-month period to be eligible for these employee benefits, which is equal to about 19 hours per week.
8. Delta
Delta employees qualify for health benefits including medical, vision, and dental insurance as long as they are regularly scheduled to work 30 hours or more a week. Eligible employees can also enroll dependents in the plans, such as a legal spouse, domestic partner, or a child.
In addition to health coverage, Delta employees also get travel privileges after being with the company for 30 days. This offers free or reduced-cost travel to any destination Delta flies to for the employee and family members.
9. Chipotle
At Chipotle, all hourly crew members are eligible for preventive health care benefits — with no minimum weekly hour requirements. Any crew member may also enroll in vision coverage or dental coverage plan, as well. Plus, Chipotle employees who work more than 30 hours per week for 12 months also have the option to enroll in a PPO plan.
Other benefits can make this job even more worthwhile, such as generous PTO and access to 401(k) retirement plans. Chipotle’s 401(k) match is worth up to 4% of total pay, and employees are eligible for it after a continuous year of employment during which they clocked 1,000 hours. Its tuition assistance plan also offers to reimburse up to $5,250 in qualifying education costs per year for eligible employees.
10. REI
Outdoor and sports retailer REI offers medical benefits for employees who work an average of 20 hours or more per week over a 12-month period.
REI also offers flexible schedules, competitive time off, including a “Yay Day” every six months, which is a paid day off to get outdoors. Employees also get generous discounts on gear and experience, and can even get “adventure grants” to reimburse some costs of trying a new outdoor activity.
11. Whole Foods Market
Health food store Whole Foods has long been a leader in offering stellar benefits for part-time employees. Yet it changed its policy in September 2019, moving its hours threshold to qualify for health insurance from 20 per week to 30, according to Business Insider.
Despite this change, Whole Foods Market is still a viable option to get health insurance for workers who can commit to 30 hours or more per week. Employees also get a 20% in-store discount when shopping at Whole Foods, with the chance to up this to 30% after six months.
12. Staples
This chain of 1,000+ stores employs 76,000 associates. It offers health insurance along with dental, vision, life, accidental death, and short-term disability insurance to its part-time associates. Part-time employees can also opt into Staples’ 401(k) plan.
And if you love office supplies, associates receive 10% off of online or in-store purchases and an additional 10% off Staples-branded products.
13. JP Morgan Chase
JP Morgan Chase is a financial institution with a 200+ year history and more than 250,000 employees. Chase offers health insurance to its part-time employees, which it defines as those working at least 20 hours per week. Part-time employees are eligible for health insurance starting the first day of the month following 60 days from their date of hire.
Chase also offers a range of other benefits such as dental, vision, and spending accounts, including health care, dependent care, and transportation. to its part-timers.
14. Aerotek
Aerotek is a staffing company focusing on manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation, and facility management. It offers its employees health benefits if they work 20 hours or more per week. Health benefits start on the first of the month following your hire date.
how many hours does an employee have to work to get health insurance
Knowing that you have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is a major concern for workers all around the world. Unfortunately, access to health insurance is sometimes limited by the number of hours you work in a week.
Many part-time employees are excluded from employer-sponsored healthcare by the Affordable Care Act in the United States and similar legislation is other countries. In light of this, it’s no surprise that many employees worry that a switch to a 4-day work week will impact their ability to access the health insurance they rely on.
In this article, 4 Day Week will be breaking down how working fewer hours can affect your access to health insurance, both in the United States and internationally.
Hours and Healthcare Access
The first thing to note is that, in general, the number of hours you work per week does not directly impact your ability to get health insurance. In most countries, either your employer or the government is responsible for offering you health insurance, and they are required to do so regardless of how many hours you work.
One notable exception to this rule is…
The United States
In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers to offer health insurance only to employees who work 30 or more hours per week. Luckily, this limit is less than the 32 hours that 4-day week employees typically get to work per week.
This means that if you work fewer than 30 hours per week in the USA, your employer is not required to offer you health insurance under the ACA. However, this does not mean that you will not be able to get health insurance—it simply means that you will have to obtain it in another way.
The good news is that there are a number of other ways to get health insurance if you work fewer than 30 hours per week in the USA. For example, you may be eligible for:
Medicaid: This government-sponsored health insurance program is available to low-income individuals and families. You can learn more about Medicaid here.
COBRA: This program allows you to keep your employer-sponsored health insurance for a limited time after leaving your job. You can learn more about COBRA here.
Individual Health Insurance: This is health insurance that you purchase yourself, rather than getting it through an employer. You can learn more about individual health insurance here.
If you work fewer than 30 hours per week in the USA and your employer does not offer health insurance, you have a few different options for obtaining coverage. Medicaid, COBRA, individual health insurance, and Medicare are all viable options that you can explore.
Exceptions in the United States
A US company isn’t required to offer health insurance to workers who work less than 30 hours per week, but some companies still choose to do so. Some examples include:
Additionally, some states have their own laws that require employers to offer health insurance to workers who work fewer than 30 hours per week. For example, in New Jersey, any business with 2-50 employees that offers a health insurance plan must offer that plan to all employees who work more than 25 hours per week.
Internationally
Like we mentioned earlier, getting access to employee health insurance is much easier in many other countries around the world thanks to government sponsored, universal healthcare. In these countries, your ability to get health insurance is not dependent on how many hours you work per week.
Some examples of countries with universal healthcare include:
It’s important to note that, while the number of hours you work per week does not directly impact your ability to get health insurance in most countries, it can still indirectly impact your ability to get coverage.
For example, if you work fewer hours, you may be less likely to qualify for certain government-sponsored health insurance programs. Additionally, if you work fewer hours, you may also have a lower income, which can make it more difficult to afford private health insurance.
do part time jobs provide health insurance
Having employee benefits like health insurance isn’t always guaranteed for part-time employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics1, only 23% of employees with part-time jobs were offered employer-sponsored health insurance.
However, providing your part-time employees with a health plan may be worth your while. There are few regulations surrounding part-time work, so employers have flexibility when determining eligibility. And in return, you’ll be able to recruit more talented part-time employees.
This blog covers the requirements for offering health insurance to part-time employees and what health benefit options are available to employers.
What is considered part-time employment?
Business owners typically consider full-time employment as someone who works 40 or more hours each week. Part-time employees usually work an average of 30 or fewer hours per week, or less than 130 hours per month for more than 120 days in a row.
Other than that basic criteria, the Fair Labor Standards Act and other employment laws don’t outline specific requirements. Generally, individual businesses determine what they consider to be part-time hours.
Employers should also consider any state and local laws that may stipulate what is considered part-time work. It’s the employer’s responsibility to choose the maximum hours for a part-time worker and communicate that to their employees in writing during the hiring process.
Do employers have to offer health insurance to their part-time workers?
The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate requires applicable large employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees to offer affordable health insurance to their full-time workers or be subject to a tax penalty. The ACA defines a full-time employee as someone who works at least 30 hours per week.
If you have fewer than 50 FTEs, you aren’t required to offer health insurance coverage to any of your employees. If you are an ALE with part-time employees who work less than 30 hours per week, you don’t have to provide health insurance to them—-even if you’re providing insurance to your full-time workers.
However, even if not legally required, employers may offer their part-time employees health insurance if they wish. Offering health insurance benefits to those with part-time positions can help improve employee retention, boost morale, increase job satisfaction, and create a more inclusive workplace culture.
What are the requirements for offering health insurance to part-time employees?
Providing health insurance is one of the top employee benefits you can offer at your organization. But before you get started, eligibility for employees doing part-time work depends on federal and state laws, your insurance provider, and other factors.
Let’s dive into the two main requirements for offering health insurance to your part-time employees in the sections below.
ACA requirements
According to the ACA, healthcare benefits must be offered consistently to all similarly situated employees. This means an employer can’t offer health insurance to one part-time worker, but deny health coverage to another part-time employee working the same amount of hours and the same type of job.
Employers should create a written document within their company policy guidelines detailing part-time employee eligibility requirements for health insurance. Individual businesses can set their own eligibility regulations, as long as it’s clearly articulated and applied consistently.
Health insurance carrier requirements
Insurance companies have different rules around offering health insurance to part-time employees. Some insurers have policies that allow offering health insurance to part-time workers, while others prohibit it entirely. That’s why checking with your insurance carrier before providing your part-time workers with health coverage is essential.
Additionally, some insurance companies have minimum participation requirements for their health insurance policies. This means that out of all the eligible employees offered your medical plan, a minimum percentage of them must purchase and use it.
If you offer health insurance to your part-time employees, they’ll be counted in your participation requirements. This is important for employers to know so their policy’s minimum participation rate is met according to the insurance carrier’s guidelines.
How employers can offer a health benefit to their part-time employees
Just because it’s not required to provide health insurance to your part-time staff doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Hourly wages are always important, but part-time job seekers typically expect to be offered some fringe benefits before they accept a new job.
Luckily, there are cost-effective health benefit options for both your full- and part-time employees’ healthcare needs. Below are two healthcare benefits options for employers of all sizes that are rising in popularity—health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and health stipends.
Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs)
An HRA is an employer-funded health benefit that allows employers to reimburse their employees for individual health insurance premiums and sometimes qualifying medical expenses.
HRAs are beneficial for both employers and employees. Employer contributions are tax-deductible and free of payroll taxes, plus employee reimbursements are income tax-free, as long as their health insurance policy meets minimum essential coverage (MEC).
HRAs are not pre-funded accounts. Employers set their desired monthly allowance amount, and employees are only reimbursed when they incur an eligible expense. Unlike health savings accounts (HSAs), HRA funds stay with the employer when an employee leaves the company.
There are three popular types of HRAs, the first one being a qualified small employer HRA (QSEHRA). QSEHRAs are for employers with fewer than 50 employees that don’t offer group health insurance.
When offering a QSEHRA, the benefit is automatically available to all full-time W-2 employees. But employers can offer it to part-time employees as long as they receive the same allowance amount as their full-time employees.
The other two HRAs for employers of any size are the individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) and the integrated HRA, also known as the group coverage HRA (GCHRA). The biggest difference between the two is that ICHRAs can only be offered to employees with individual health insurance, like the QSEHRA, while integrated HRAs act as a supplement to an employee’s group health insurance.
Both ICHRAs and integrated HRAs have the ability to set specific employee classes. Employee classes separate employees into groups by legitimate job-based criteria, such as part-time employees.
ICHRAs have 11 employee class options, and integrated HRAs have seven. Employees in different classes can be offered different allowance amounts, but those within the same class must be offered the same allowance.
Health stipends
A health stipend is a fixed amount of money offered to employees designed to help pay for a health insurance plan and other medical expenses. They’re a good option for businesses that don’t want to deal with restrictive and costly group health insurance plans.
Stipends are a very flexible health benefit option. Employees can choose the healthcare items that suit their needs, and employers can choose monthly allowance caps, giving them total control over their healthcare benefits costs. Better yet, both full-time and part-time employees are eligible to receive a stipend.
However, stipends are less regulated than HRAs. Employers can’t make their employees prove they spent their allowance on a health insurance policy or healthcare items. Also, stipends are added to an employee’s paycheck as extra income, so they’re subject to income taxes.
WorkPerks is a software platform powered by PeopleKeep for businesses of all sizes that helps employers offer reimbursable fringe benefits, such as an employee stipend. With WorkPerks, you’ll be able to offer your full and part-time workers comprehensive employee benefits.