Many self-employed people in Dallas, Houston, and other parts of Texas find that health insurance is not something they can afford. Many people who work for themselves will say that they can’t afford to be sick. Period.” They don’t even think of the term “sick days” in their heads.
Many of these self-employed, or “permalancers” or “permatemps”, have been working for small businesses that do not offer work benefits. People who work as full-time employees but aren’t eligible for benefits such as health insurance, vacation days and sick days from their employers have been called perma-lancers.
These individuals work on a long-term contract basis for one employer and do the same work as permanent employees. Employers can save money on employee benefits and payroll taxes by refusing perma-lancers to be converted to employee status. Perma-lancers are increasingly being used by businesses to reduce personnel costs and especially the cost of benefits.
Perma-lancers allow businesses to have the flexibility to hire resources when needed. This practice originated in Austin’s Dell Computer Company, which was involved in product assembly. Opponents argue that this is a way for businesses not to pay benefits to certain employees. It is a tool that is essential in today’s global competitive world. Perma-lancers can be rehired at will depending on market fluctuations. For example, if advertising revenue drops for a quarter, it is not common for assignments to be stopped.
The recent collapse of dot-com, which saw thousands of freelancers flood into the workforce, is one of the main reasons why so many perma-lancers are currently on the market. Perma-lancers are passionate about what they do but worry about whether or not they will be able to maintain a full-time job and their health.
One perma-lancer says, “Every time that I get sick I worry.” “I must take time off, and I don’t get paid.” I must pay the full price to the doctor. I request generics when I get prescriptions. Crossing streets is a risky thing because I could be hit by a car and get five grand.
Perma-lancers aged 20 and older often think twice before taking up risky activities like snow skiing or water skiing, because they worry about the cost of even minor injuries, such as a broken wrist or ankle.
Perma-lancers are open to the idea of purchasing individual health insurance. However, many estimates suggest that they could spend as much as 50% of their income on housing and insurance. Many self-employed people believe it is safer to save money and not have health insurance.
Perma-lancers aren’t the only working-class Americans who don’t have health insurance. There are more than 10,000,000 Americans currently who are uninsured and are of solid income, but many others are working for lower wages.
These people believe that comprehensive health insurance should not be priced. However, public opinion polls have shown that healthcare is third on Americans’ list of top concerns after taxes and national security.
Many perma-lancers will be considering voting based on the views of the presidential candidates regarding healthcare.
