A Message from Sara Horowitz

Founder & Executive Director, Freelancers Union
President & CEO, Freelancers Insurance Company

In 1996, I founded a nonprofit organization to represent the needs and concerns of independent workers; in 2001, we created a program to get health insurance for independent workers in New York State. Back then, we recognized that the most pressing concern for freelancers was lack of affordable insurance. Over the years, Freelancers Union has worked with different insurance companies to get plans for our members at prices below what they’d pay on their own. Now, Freelancers Union has started Freelancers Insurance Company, to ensure that members have stable, long-term access to health insurance.

To start FIC, Freelancers Union has had a lot of help. Prominent financial supporters such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York State Health Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the New York City Investment Fund, the Prudential Social Investments Program, and the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have made loans and grants to Freelancers Union to start FIC. And I’ve worked hard to bring together a team of the most experienced, principled people around to run the company.

Mostly, though, it’s because of the members of Freelancers Union that we’re able to do this remarkable thing. We’ve shown that it’s possible to create a group with the strength and longevity to be a sustainable “risk pool” for health insurance. Independent work arrangements are here to stay, and the market is finally recognizing that.

We’re here to stay, too. Together, Freelancers Union and its members are building institutions, like Freelancers Insurance Company, that will provide stability for the independent workforce for years to come.

Best,

 

Sara Horowitz
CEO, Freelancers Insurance Company

Learn more at the FIC website.

About the Plans

Benefits and pricing for the 2009 FIC plans:

FIC PPO 1
FIC PPO 2
FIC PPO 3
FIC HD 5,000
FIC HD 10,000

Open Enrollment
November 11 – December 31, 2008

Members who are already enrolled in health insurance through Freelancers Union will be able to select new plans for 2009. Watch for an email on November 11 with a link to the open enrollment website. If you’re not enrolled in health insurance, learn about eligibility and how to apply.

                         
   

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I have a claim pending on my 2008 plan?
Your current insurance carrier—whether it’s Empire BlueCross BlueShield or PerfectHealth—will handle all claims incurred while you’re on their plan. If you’ve paid for health coverage through December 2008, your current carrier will continue to be responsible for all medical services you receive through the end of 2008.
 
How do I get a temporary ID card?
Once you’ve enrolled in your new FIC plan, you can print a temporary ID card online at the FIC website after December 22, 2008. It may take up to a week after enrollment for your information to be available on the FIC website.
 
What if I’m switching from another Freelancers Union plan, and I’m getting care from a doctor who’s not in the FIC network?
FIC uses the BlueCard PPO network, so all health care providers who are in-network for members currently enrolled in Empire BlueCross BlueShield plans will still be in-network. Your out-of-network care will continue to be covered according to the out-of-network terms for your new plan. (If you’re on the Empire POS plan and getting care from an out-of-network provider, your doctor may be covered in the larger PPO network that FIC uses. Check the provider search.)
 
If you’re currently enrolled in a PerfectHealth plan, you can find out whether your doctor is in-network for the FIC plans by using the provider search. If your doctor isn’t in-network for your new plan, you may wish to select a new provider. If you will be undergoing treatment at the time you switch to an FIC plan (January 1, 2009), you can request that FIC cover your care as in-network for a limited period of time. To do so, please contact FIC customer service. You will be notified of whether or not your request is accepted.
 
What if I’m switching from another Freelancers Union plan and I have a pre-certification for prescriptions?
FIC subscribers no longer need pre-certification for prescriptions. For questions regarding your prescription coverage, contact FIC customer service. Information about prescription coverage will also be available online at the FIC website when enrolled members log in to their accounts after December 22.

What should I do if I currently have an open refill?
If you have an open refill, simply bring your new insurance ID card to the pharmacy when you order your refill. You don’t need to get a new prescription.
 
What should I do if I currently have open mail order prescriptions?
When you select and enroll in your new FIC plan, your open mail order prescriptions will be transferred from your current health insurance provider to FIC. Should you need to refill a mail order prescription in early January, you can contact FIC customer service in late December, after you've enrolled in your new plan, to confirm that your prescription has been transferred.

How do I terminate my coverage?
If you don’t wish to enroll in an FIC plan for 2009, please use the online form to terminate your coverage. To do this, use the link in the open enrollment email sent on November 11.

What is FIC?
Freelancers Insurance Company (FIC) is a for-profit insurance company that provides health insurance solely to the eligible New York-based members of Freelancers Union, a nonprofit membership organization, and to those members’ dependents. FIC is owned by Freelancers Union, which has been funded by philanthropic investors.

Who owns FIC?
FIC is wholly owned by Freelancers Union, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization. It has no other shareholders or equity investors.

How do I know FIC is safe?
FIC is licensed by the New York State Insurance Department, and is subject to state insurance laws and regulations. The Insurance Department uses a rigorous review process to vet and approve all of FIC's finances, policies, and plans. In addition to maintaining significant capital reserves, FIC carries reinsurance. FIC also works to protect its customers' privacy, abiding by federal privacy laws. Finally, FIC is run by a team of professionals with extensive insurance, legal, and business experience.

Why are monthly premiums going up?
Premiums increase every year because the costs of care and services go up. FIC is different from other insurance companies because its goal is to be financially sustainable, not to maximize profits. Unfortunately but unavoidably, premiums will increase in 2009, even under the consumer-focused model of FIC. However, with health insurance costs continuing to soar nationally in a steep and long-term trajectory, continuing under the old system would have cost you even more money. More important, without the flexibility and safeguards of our new program to soften exposure to future rate increases, you would likely have faced far greater rate escalation over the long term through the old system.

Why didn’t you tell us about this change sooner?
We were prohibited from offering or advertising the availability of any health insurance benefits through Freelancers Insurance Company until FIC was licensed by the New York State Insurance Department. We received a license for FIC on Tuesday, November 11, and made an announcement to our members within hours.

What are your qualifications to run an insurance company?
Since 2001, Freelancers Union has been administering health insurance plans for independent workers. That program required us to develop a deep understanding of the insurance industry and work closely with a number of insurance carriers over the years. Freelancers Union has brought together a team of experienced professionals to start up and run FIC. FIC has been licensed by the New York State Insurance Department, which means that state regulators have deemed us qualified and well-equipped to run an insurance company

How is FIC different from other insurance companies?
FIC is owned by Freelancers Union, a nonprofit organization, and its health insurance policies cover only eligible New York-based members of Freelancers Union and their dependents. Since our only shareholder is Freelancers Union, we can exist to serve our customers, not to maximize profits.

Is FIC a nonprofit?
FIC is a for-profit insurance company, in compliance with New York State Insurance Department regulations.

If FIC is a for-profit, who's profiting?
Freelancers Insurance Company is a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary of Freelancers Union. This means that any profits FIC may be able to generate will go to Freelancers Union. Freelancers Union's goal in starting FIC is to form a sustainable, long term health insurance carrier for its members. Because Freelancers Union is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, any FIC profits received by Freelancers Union must be used to advance Freelancers Union's tax-exempt mission. Freelancers Union will invest these dollars back into member programming, such as advocacy campaigns, educational events and seminars, and the development of new programs. No FIC profits will go to individual shareholders or for-profit companies.

If I already have health insurance through Freelancers Union, will FIC's rules about pre-existing conditions apply to me?
No. If you have coverage through Freelancers Union in December and start on an FIC plan in January, you won't be subject to the pre-existing conditions rule under your FIC coverage.

What if I'm a New Jersey resident?
If you live in New Jersey and are already insured on an Empire or PerfectHealth plan through Freelancers Union, you are eligible for this period of open enrollment into an FIC plan.