The most common way that people gain access to group health insurance plans is through their employer. Unfortunately, this simply is not an option for many people who are either self-employed or who work for small businesses. The good news is, there are ways in which you can qualify for group health insurance plans even if your employer does not offer this benefit. In this article, you can learn more about three of the ways in which you can form a qualifying group so that you can take advantage of the money-saving power that group health insurance plans have to offer. 

#1: A Group Defined By Profession

While your employer may not choose to offer group health insurance benefits, you may still be able to use your job as a way to create your own insurance group. This is because another very common way in which these groups are defined is by profession. This option is especially popular among self-employed individuals who are unable to form a group with co-workers simply because they work by themselves. When choosing to define an insurance group using this criteria, you can choose to limit the criteria to individuals who share your exact profession or widen your criteria to those in your same niche with the hopes of attracting more potential members. For instance, if you are a musician, you could choose to open your group up to all musicians or you could expand your group to include all artists. 

#2: A Group Defined By Location

Another common way in which to define a group for the purpose of obtaining group health insurance coverage is by location. When creating this type of insurance group, you can choose to limit membership to individuals in your city or you can expand your group to include individuals in your county or even your state. Since larger groups typically enjoy lower insurance rates, you will want to seriously consider expanding your membership area in order to attract more people. 

#3: A Group Defined By Personal Affiliation

While this option is less common, you can choose to define your insurance group based on personal affiliation. These affiliations include things such as being a member of a religious or community group. For example, you could choose to form an insurance group with other members of your church. You could also choose to join forces with individuals who attend the same school or with whom you share a hobby. 

For more information on group health insurance, contact a professional near you.