Health insurance is one of the most important considerations for Americans looking to find a new job. Aside from salary, health insurance is an important benefit to learn more about before accepting a new role.
However, for those only working part-time hours, it can be challenging to find a company that offers health insurance. In some cases, the company may only offer health insurance to full-time employees or those who work a certain set number of hours. Or part-time employees may only qualify for partial healthcare coverage.
The United States currently has one of the highest average costs of healthcare in the world — with healthcare spending in 2021 reaching $4.3 trillion, or an average of $12,900 per person. This is largely due to the rising costs of providing healthcare services, which typically outpaces general inflation. These costs appear to be steadily rising, which means having good health insurance coverage is incredibly important, no matter how many hours you work.
Types of part-time jobs offering health insurance
Luckily, you can find part-time jobs in multiple industries that offer health insurance, but these are some of the top industries and companies to consider:
Retail roles
Retail roles can often come with part-time or flexible contracts, and some companies do provide health insurance to all types of workers.
For example, Costco’s part-time employees are offered life insurance, healthcare plans, dental coverage, and prescription coverage. However, you will need to have worked for the company for 180 days or at least 600 hours to qualify for health insurance plans.
Lowe’s also offers part-time employees access to a medical plan that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance. However, this is limited coverage. Hospital and surgical coverage isn’t included, but primary doctor office visits are.
Food and beverage service workers
Part-time roles are common within the food service industry, and some companies offer health insurance and retirement benefits as well.
For example, Starbucks offers benefits, including health insurance for hourly employees — provided you have worked 240 hours consecutively within a three-month period. This includes the choice of multiple coverage levels for medical, dental, and vision plans. Chipotle also provides medical, vision, and dental coverage to both full-time and part-time workers, which also extends to an employee’s partner if they decide to opt in as well.
Admin and office work
Admin roles can vary in terms of job responsibilities and industry, including anything from banking to retail, recruitment agencies, and everything in between. If you have worked in admin before, your transferable skills give you options to search for roles across multiple industries to find one that offers health insurance.
Aerotek is a recruiting company that specializes in the manufacturing, construction, and aviation industries. The company offers health insurance for part-time workers who complete at least 20 hours of work per week. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage, as well as life insurance, disability coverage, and retirement plans.
JPMorgan Chase also offers health insurance benefits to most full- and part-time employees who work at least 20 hours per week.
Healthcare
There are a lot of part-time roles available in the healthcare industry, so it’s worth looking at this career path.
For example, CVS Health offers coverage to all employees, provided they work 30 hours a week. If you work between 12 to 29 hours a week, you could be eligible for a fixed indemnity plan that offers cash benefits for healthcare, such as doctor visits and prescriptions.
Delivery and postal workers
Part-time work is common in the delivery driving and postal industry, but health insurance does not come as standard, especially in the growing gig economy in this industry.
However, companies such as UPS offer healthcare coverage for both full- and part-time workers. You will have to work more than 225 hours in a three-month period to qualify. But once you do, you can receive medical, vision, hearing, and dental coverage.
How to find part-time jobs with health insurance
Some places you can find part-time jobs with health insurance include job listing sites and LinkedIn, which often list benefits for the company you’re applying for in the job advertisement. Just be aware that offering health insurance may or may not apply to part-time workers. Often, on job listings on LinkedIn, you can see the hiring manager for that role and message them directly to ask about health insurance options.
Alternatively, you could ask friends or family if they know any companies they would recommend. Another place to do some research is Glassdoor, which has employee reviews on things like working environment, salary, and benefits packages.
What to consider before accepting a part-time job with health insurance
When searching for a part-time job with health insurance, there are a few things to consider. Not all health plans that employers offer are the same, so it’s important to read the fine print.
Some things to watch out for include:
Plan limitations
Some part-time jobs may not offer full coverage. For example, you may receive basic health insurance but no coverage for hospital visits or dental care. If you are looking for more extensive coverage, this could limit your options. However, some companies are willing to provide insurance coverage in a variety of areas, such as dental, vision, and hearing as well.
Be sure to check the details of any health insurance benefit carefully before you sign any contracts. Don’t assume that a company simply claiming to provide “health insurance” will meet all of your coverage needs.
Waiting periods for coverage
Whether it’s part-time or full-time, one thing to check is whether there is a waiting period before coverage kicks in. You may have to wait until you have been covered for a few months before you can claim against any insurance. This will depend on the healthcare insurance provider’s policy, as each one may have different criteria to meet before you can claim.
Employer eligibility requirements
Each employer may have their own eligibility requirements to qualify for health insurance — one of which may be the details of your contracted hours. For example, the company may only offer enrollment in a healthcare plan if you work a certain number of hours.
Be aware that employers who advertise health insurance as part of their benefits package may not extend that to those working part-time or with flexible hours. You will have to double-check with each employer.
For those applying for remote positions, be sure to check eligibility requirements that are state-specific. For example, a company may only extend health insurance to those working in the same state or country.
Always read the fine print
Before accepting any new role, it’s important to get a good picture of the benefits you will be entitled to. Don’t assume that you will get full coverage because it says so in the job listing, as there may be some terms and conditions that do not apply to your specific role.
Health insurance is not something to take lightly, with the cost of medical care rising all the time. If you have pre-existing medical conditions or a family history of them, it’s all the more important that you read through any agreements carefully before agreeing.
