As part of our continual effort to understand caregivers’ needs, Stride Health collaborated with Care.com to interview three caregivers about the status of their health care. We discussed the challenges (and successes) in finding quality, affordable health care as an independent worker.
Here’s what Meg, Pamelah, and Laura had to say.
What Is Your Relationship With Care.com?
Meg: Care.com helps me have security within an insecure situation – I move a lot for dancing, and I know I can find employment wherever I go. It’s been so easy for me to connect with people in different geographies because I have reviews and a background check, and it makes families feel safer.
Pamelah: I’ve been using Care.com for 5 or 6 years, with a couple part-time jobs in addition. Care.com is the majority but I work for another company where I’m W-2’d (also in child care), but they offer no benefits.
Have You Ever Had Health Care Benefits Provided Through Employment?
Pamelah: No. I’m 30 and I’ve never had a job that has provided it, not even a law office job I had for awhile. Fortunately, I’ve never had anything super bad happen. If I did, I’d just have a big medical bill I’d have to take care of somehow.
Meg: No, I’ve had to follow mobile health vans around and scrape by when I’m sick. I’ve even gone to ER for strep throat which took me a year to pay off. It’s been really frustrating not having health care.
When the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Mandate Started, How Were You Able to Find Affordable Insurance?
Meg: It was an email through Care.com that allowed me to find Stride Health and see the options so clearly. I was taken aback by how easy it was to look at the different options, and I signed up for it that day. I was only planning to look around, but I saw all the different options and said “I think I can probably afford some health care this year.”
Laura: Care.com sent me information about getting health insurance through Stride, and I read everything and thought this looks like a great deal. I rang Stride and told you what I was looking for and then I sent all the info required. It was EFFORTLESS. Very, very good service.
What Was Most Helpful About Your Experience With Stride Health?
Laura: I went to the website initially, but I’m kinda old school – I like to talk to a live person. Trying to contact the government about health insurance, you just keep the phone on speaker and do the dishes and clean the house before they come back to you. But with Stride, we emailed back and forth and had a couple conversations. It was effortless, honestly.
Meg: Stride made my options transparent. I clicked on a few different plans to compare the pricing and benefits. At first I wanted all these add ons, but Stride did a good job outlining what I would pay if I used these services. That helped me realize I’m not in a part of my life where I’d have a high utilization of certain health services – that I would be wasting money. I would’ve signed up for everything if it hadn’t been outlined so simply for me.
Pamelah: With Stride, I sent two or three emails and someone got back to me right away. It was so quick, I was still like is this real? It was so easy and simple.
Do You Feel Better Having Health Care This Year?
Meg: Ohhhh (sigh), oh yeah! First of all, I feel like an adult [laughs]. I feel safer having it, knowing I’m not going to have to take a day off work, go to some sketchy part of the neighborhood, and wait all day. I feel good knowing that I’m being protected and my health is now a priority.
Pamelah: Definitely. I didn’t want to be penalized again, and I’m getting older so it’s nice to have health insurance.
