Inspector-specific insurance questions, answered straight

Indirectly, yes. As a sole-proprietor or single-member-LLC inspector filing Schedule C, you can deduct 100% of your health insurance premiums (and your spouse and dependents') as an above-the-line adjustment on Form 1040, Schedule 1, line 17 — the self-employed health insurance deduction. It's not a Schedule C line item directly, but it reduces your AGI and your self-employment tax base. Your Foundation Health advisor calculates this against your projected 1040 before quoting, so the cost on screen reflects your real after-tax premium.

Your ACA medical plan covers the medical side — ER visit, imaging, orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, rehab — regardless of how the injury happened. It does NOT cover the income you lose while you can't climb. That's why most independent inspectors pair their ACA plan with an Accident & Income Supplement (typically $42–$85/month) that pays cash benefits per incident and per hospital night. Workers' comp is separate and only applies if you have W-2 employees.

Not with our placements. Three out of four general brokers will misclassify mold or radon work as 'environmental remediation' and either decline the application or rate up 15–30%. Foundation pre-places specialty inspectors with carriers that read the trade correctly — standard rates, no carve-out, no exclusion for respiratory or dermatology specialists who treat occupational exposure.

Yes, if you choose a PPO with a strong multi-state network. ACA plans are issued by state, but in-network PPO emergency care and routine care follow you wherever the carrier has provider contracts. For commercial inspectors covering 3+ metros we typically place a BCBS, Aetna, or UnitedHealthcare PPO with broad multi-state reach. HMOs and EPOs are usually a bad fit for traveling inspectors.

Once you have at least one common-law W-2 employee in addition to yourself, you qualify for small-group coverage. With 2–25 inspectors we usually recommend either an ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) or a level-funded group plan — both typically save 18–34% versus traditional fully-insured small group and let each inspector pick the plan that fits their family. Franchises like Pillar To Post, WIN, HouseMaster, and AmeriSpec don't sponsor coverage themselves — you're the employer for benefits purposes.

Not necessarily. If you've had a qualifying life event in the last 60 days — newly licensed and leaving a W-2 job, losing employer coverage, getting married, having a baby, moving, dropping off a parent's plan at 26 — you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and can enroll right now. For inspectors specifically, newly going 1099 IS a qualifying event. If no QLE applies, Accident & Income Supplements are year-round and can bridge the gap until November.

Workers' comp covers W-2 employees of your inspection business for on-the-job injury — most solo 1099 inspectors are not required to carry it and can't enroll themselves. Accident insurance is an individual cash-benefit policy that pays YOU directly for injury (falls, fractures, lacerations, ER visits) on or off the job. For solo inspectors with no W-2 employees, accident insurance fills the role workers' comp would otherwise fill — and costs $42–$85/month instead of thousands.

It's how most of our clients handle non-urgent care. Every ACA plan we quote includes telehealth (typically $0–$25 per visit) — useful for prescription refills, follow-ups, minor injuries, dermatology checks for sun/chemical exposure, and respiratory issues after crawlspace work. You can take the call between a 10am pre-listing and a 2pm pre-purchase without losing a billable inspection day.

Yes. ACA subsidies are based on projected ANNUAL household income, not month-to-month. Slow winters and busy spring buying seasons average out. The risk is over- or under-projecting at enrollment — if you estimate too low and earn more, you reconcile (and may owe back some subsidy) at tax time; estimate too high and you'll get a refund. Our advisors help inspectors project realistically using prior-year Schedule C plus a seasonal adjustment.

Absolutely — and the self-employed health insurance deduction applies to their premiums too. Inspector family ACA plans in our network average $498/month for a family of four after subsidy, with the spouse and kids on the same plan. Pediatric dental and vision are required ACA benefits and included by default. Adult dental and vision typically add $35–$65/month bundled.