Non-standard workers have lower rates of health insurance coverage
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently published a studyExternal that compared the rates of health insurance coverage among workers in different work arrangements between 2010 and 2015. While rates of health insurance coverage among workers in all categories went up significantly during this time period, substantial disparities in health insurance coverage persisted for workers with non-standard work arrangements.
For most Americans, health insurance is obtained through employers. This option can vary depending on whether a worker is employed with a standard, permanent and full-time employment, or through non-standard arrangements. Non-standard work is defined as those types of work arrangements that deviate in some way from the standard and are commonly known as part-time, temporary, consultant, freelance, or contractor workers.