Part-Time Jobs That Get You Healthcare Benefits

Money is important, but nothing is more important than your health. It is a grave injustice that it is difficult for some people to afford healthcare without a full-time job, but luckily some employers are willing to offer healthcare to their part-time employees. We’re going to show you a handful of different companies that are willing to contribute to the well-being of their workforce.

What Part-Time Jobs Offer Health Benefits?

There are plenty of part-time jobs that offer health benefits but some popular options are listed below.

Chipotle

One of the best part-time jobs with health insurance benefits is offered by Chipotle. Part-time employees have the privilege of getting good medical plans through Anthem. They also have a dental plan through Delta Dental. The details are explained in a comprehensive manner in the company’s benefits handbook. If you need to go to the eye doctor, a vision plan is also available through EyeMed. For those experiencing mental issues and need therapy, counseling and mental health services are available for employees and their dependents free of charge and can be done either in-person or through other means of communication (conferencing, phones, etc.).

Starbucks

There’s nothing like having a job where you’ll be happy to whip up nice java on a part-time basis, but what’s even better is the way Starbucks treats its employees. First, this organization has part-time jobs that offer health insurance benefits with a variety of different medical plans. The packages include Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Bronze Plus. Your deductibles can be anywhere from $0 to $3,300, depending on which package you choose. It’s also worth noting that Starbucks is one of the few employers that help pay for their employees’ college education.

Lowe’s

As one of America’s biggest home improvement retailers, Lowe’s also treats its part-time employees well. Having stores all over the country, the company does have part-time jobs with full health benefits. However, take note that depending on the area where you work, you may get a different amount of benefits. The best reference that you can use to see how much you could potentially get is through using the Health Plan Identifier.

UPS

There are jobs in UPS that you could check out if you are considering UPS as a potential employer. Along with being a UPS employee, you are also entitled to a number of pretty good healthcare benefits programs that you can look into. As a matter of fact, the company prides itself on being an organization that employs part-time jobs that offer health benefits. Their comprehensive plan includes dental, medical, vision, and pharmacy plans. The catch is that how much you get might depend on what local branch of UPS you end up working at, but the best reference to use would be the TeamstersCare benefits page. As a general rule, you need to accumulate 225 working hours over a three-month period to be eligible for benefits, which is almost 20 hours a week.

What Federal Assistance is Available for Healthcare?

While part-time job opportunities for healthcare are a great option to consider, there are some other ways to get healthcare as well. There are federal programs that can help with medical expenses which may be able to assist you more than opportunities available at a part-time job. Some of these programs include:

Medicaid

Even though this is a federal program, states are the ones who run it. Medicaid is a program that is able to handle the cost of some forms of medical care for qualifying families and those with disabilities. Low-income individuals and those with specialized disabilities are typically the ones who benefit the most from this program.

Medicaid can cover a variety of services like:

Traditional Medical Care
Dental Care
Vision care
Inpatient Hospital Services
Outpatient Hospital Services
Laboratory Services
X-Ray Services
Screenings
Transportation Services
Translation Services

Medicaid covers all of these services, and then some! Since each state has its own Medicaid program, the terms and conditions will vary. Some states may be able to offer additional services that can be covered like prescription drugs, rehabilitation services, and personal care. For more information be sure to contact your local Medicaid Office. You can find this local office by searching online at www.HealthCare.gov.

Medicare

Medicare provides qualified individuals with health insurance. People that typically qualify for this healthcare program are at least 65 years old, have a qualifying disability, or have specific diseases like end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

CHIP can give affordable health coverage to the children of families that make too much to qualify for Medicaid but are still cost-burdened. CHIP can also cover pregnant women! Recipients of this program can expect services to be protected like:

Immunizations
Doctor Visits
Routine Check-Ups
Dental Care
Vision Care
Inpatient Hospital Care
Outpatient Hospital Care
Laboratory Services
X-Ray Services
Emergency Services

Some states may offer even more CHIP benefits. It is important to see what is offered specifically in the state that you live in. You can apply for CHIP either through a Health Insurance Marketplace® application or by calling 1-800-318-2596.

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program

This program was created in 1946 as a way to primarily focus on the healthcare needs of American veterans. Healthcare that is provided through the VHA goes through Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Recipients of VHA tend to be low-income, older, and/or experience severe or chronic illnesses. Recipients of VHA healthcare can expect a variety of available services like traditional medical care, mental health services, physical therapy, and much more.

What Makes a Good Healthcare Plan?

You can get many different types of healthcare coverage. What makes a good healthcare plan, though? There are three aspects that you can consider when reviewing your health insurance options to make sure you find a coverage plan that works for you. These factors are the total costs of the plan, the type of plan, as well as the “grade” of the plan.

Total Costs of the Plan

While this shouldn’t be the only determining factor, it is definitely an important one. You will be required to handle a monthly payment depending on the type of insurance you get. This payment is referred to as a premium. This cost is important because it is what you need to make sure fits within your monthly budget. However, other cost factors like the deductible and out-of-pocket costs are also important to consider to make sure your coverage is manageable.

The Type of Plan

There are different types of health insurance plans. There are HMO, PPO, EPO, and POS. These plans refer to how you need to handle “in-network” and “out-of-network” providers. Some plans have more expansive coverage than others.

The “Grade” of the Plan

There are basically four grades of plans. They are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. This plan categorization can provide you with more information about how much the insurance companies cover as well as additional financial information.

Bronze

Individuals that are looking for the most affordable option with low monthly payments and protects them in serious worst-case scenario situations typically choose this pan. While the monthly responsibility will be more manageable, it may not be able to be as protected as some other plans. Routine preventative care could be left for you to deal with, too.

Silver

People tend to choose a silver plan when they are willing to spend more every month to have more routine care covered. These plans also typically have less out of pocket money required compared to a Bronze Plan.

Gold

Unfortunately, not everyone is in good health. Those that constantly need care typically tend to go with a Gold plan even though it requires a high monthly payment in contrast to other plans like Bronze and Silver. That is because it offers more extensive coverage yet isn’t as expensive as a platinum plan.

Platinum

This is the plan type with the highest monthly premium. This is an excellent choice if people find themselves needing a lot of care and want the maximum amount of coverage available on the market.

What are the Benefits of Having Health Insurance?

Health insurance works not only as a financial safety net during emergencies and medical issues but also as a way to help you avoid getting sick in the first place. These two reasons alone should be enough of a motivation to get health insurance.

Health Insurance is a Financial Safety Net

Many people don’t plan to get sick or injured. These situations happen unexpectedly and can cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. For example, if you are diagnosed with thyroid cancer and need to get surgery. That surgery expense alone could be an out-of-pocket $100,000 but with insurance, you may only have to owe $10,000. That’s still a lot of money, but it is way more manageable than $100,000. Medical expenses are the number one leading cause of bankruptcies in America. That is why making sure you have insurance to better handle these expenses can mean a world of difference.

Health Insurance Helps Avoid Getting Sick in the First Place

An important service that healthcare insurance usually covers is preventative care. Services like vaccinations, laboratory services, annual checkups, screenings, etc. are all ways that you can check your body to make sure everything is working properly. When you catch an illness in the early stages of development, you will likely be able to manage it easier.

What to Do if You Don’t Qualify for Health Care Assistance but Still Can’t Afford Insurance?

This is a tricky spot to be in. You may not qualify for federal health care assistance and may not be able to afford traditional private insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace. If you find yourself in this situation, you should contact a financial professional to determine how to best handle your budget. Improving your overall financial health may be able to provide you with the capacity to take on another monthly bill payment. You can also try to do this on your own by creating a budget and looking at additional ways that you can improve your monthly income to handle this payment.

Overall

There are part-time job opportunities that are available that have quite attractive healthcare benefits. Some of these opportunities include:

Chipotle
Starbucks
Lowe’s
UPS

If you are not interested in getting a part-time job for healthcare coverage, then you may be able to consider other alternatives like federal assistance. Some popular federal health care assistance options are:

Medicaid
Medicare
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program

These programs may be able to help if you are eligible. It is important to get health insurance one way or another because it provides a safety cushion during times of unexpected emergencies and can help you keep up with preventative care.