24% of workers in the gig economy are uninsured. How can employers help?

A new survey by Stride Health, a platform that connects independent workers to the benefits marketplace, gathered the feedback of over 4,000 independent and gig workers and found that 24% are currently uninsured. Of those, 58% cited prohibitive cost as the reason they opted not to purchase coverage, with 80% saying they believe monthly health insurance would cost more than $100 per family member .

“Coverage is more affordable than ever for Americans, but there’s a huge education gap,” says Noah Lang, Stride Health’s CEO. “Healthcare is expensive, and the average American knows that. People don’t understand the benefits that have been created to help them lower those costs.”

In fact, the survey respondents who reported having purchased insurance paint a much different picture of current options, with 45% reporting $0 in premiums, thanks to tax credits and expanded qualifications obtained through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Another 27% paid between $1 and $100 per family member per month, with 72% of those insured reporting spending less than $100 per family member. These numbers speak to the major education gap within this unique workforce — one that employers should work to close.

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