Drivers and their Coverage during the Pandemic

Taxi-cab and ride-sharing drivers have always struggled to get health insurance. They are usually independent contractors who aren’t eligible for employer coverage. The pandemic made things even harder for them. Here are a few stories shared while one fully-vaccinated American travelled for the first time in more than a year.

• Cleveland. The cab driver had been uninsured since dropping his Obamacare coverage when his income dried up during the pandemic. Now that business was getting better, he was going to explore coverage again, especially since he may benefit from lower premiums with the American Rescue Plan. He had received both doses of a vaccine.
• Boston. The cab driver was covered through MassHealth, the state’s health insurance marketplace. While his income dropped during the pandemic, he continued paying for coverage because he feared being hospitalized after getting COVID-19. He tested positive for antibodies, so he was waiting “until those who need it more than I do are vaccinated.”
• Chicago. The driver for a ride-hailing service was insured by his wife’s employee health benefits program. He admitted that the monthly cost of covering their family—including one son—was expensive, but it provided financial security and comprehensive benefits. He was to get his first dose this weekend, and his son was ready to do the same when he turns 16 next month.

These drivers reflected the struggle that many Americans have had to pay for coverage during the pandemic. They are Mastering Health Insurance. And to the cab driver who wouldn’t get vaccinated because he didn’t believe that the coronavirus was real, here’s to hoping that you have health insurance.   

Photo: Lake Michigan after spring thaw