Working Owner Eligibility: Do You Qualify for Group Health?
Who can actually enroll: 1099 contractors, freelancers, gig workers, self-employed owners, and some W-2s.
The short version: if you earn income outside a traditional W-2 employer-sponsored plan, odds are good you qualify. The Working Owner model is designed for the people who fall between full-time employees and retirees, which turns out to be a big chunk of the workforce.
Who qualifies
1099 contractors are the clearest fit. Freelancers, gig workers, consultants, sole proprietors, and LLC owners all belong in the same bucket. If you file a Schedule C or receive 1099s from clients, you're the audience this was built for.
W-2 employees can qualify too, but only if the employer does not offer group coverage or offers coverage that doesn't meet affordability rules. Part-time W-2 workers are the most common case here.
What the suitability check actually does
The 3-minute suitability check is a set of questions that confirm you meet the Working Owner group requirements. It's not a credit check and it's not a medical exam. It's there because group health plans have to verify that the members are a real group, not random individuals shopping for individual coverage.