Health Insurance for Tradespeople: Your Questions Answered by Ironvest

Tradespeople face a higher risk of injury on the job than any other workers in America, yet many struggle to access adequate health insurance. That’s why Trade Hounds has partnered with Ironvest, an employee benefits marketplace, to help tradespeople find coverage that fits their needs. 

In this Q&A, we sat down with Adam Weisberger, James Mills, and Devin Rose from Ironvest to answer questions submitted by our community about healthcare options—from understanding premiums and deductibles to exploring coverage for gig workers and preventative care. 

Whether you already have health insurance through your job or are exploring options on your own, this guide will help you understand coverage, compare plans, and make informed decisions. 

Why should a tradesperson reach out to Ironvest for health insurance? 

James Mills:  
As we're talking about health issues within the trades, I've been in flooring for most of my life. I started at 10 years old with my grandpa, and now that I'm in my mid-thirties, my knees are killing me, which is why I kind of made that switch over to finance and health insurance and this employee benefits marketplace anyway. 

Having been in the trades most of my life and having family that's been in the trades for the entirety of their careers, the reason why we wanted to do this is because of how overwhelming it felt to try to understand what the best options were for me, my family, my family's family, especially when it comes to health insurance and some of the other ancillary benefits that we're talking about. 

Trying to navigate your doctors, what to pay, what plans are the best, especially for small businesses and those solo-preneurs like I was. I wished we had someone who could help me navigate that. That's where we come in, especially when we're talking about a time where there are rising costs, and there's a lot of changes happening within the health insurance industry. 

We're here really to help and build trust with you guys, where we can help you navigate the health insurance options and hopefully reduce your monthly payments while getting you the best benefits possible as we can. 

Can I work with Ironvest to find lower rates if my company health insurance is too expensive? 

James Mills: 
You don't necessarily need to go through your company plan. Actually, sometimes what we're finding is that going through some of the other plans that we have available, it really can cater more to your life situation and your budget. You are 100% able to not go with your company plan and look for other options.  

How much does health insurance cost? 

James Mills: 
The hard part with that is it can vary. And what you'll find in most of what our benefits are, the caveat's always going to be it depends, just because it varies on factors like age and plan type.  

As an example, it can depend on am I getting a plan for my family? Am I getting a plan for myself? What kind of out-of-pocket expenses am I going to want to go with? What kind of deductible? What kind of co-insurance?  

What we are building into our site is a calculator to help people navigate and estimate what those costs are. Outside of even just having conversations with us and scheduling time to find out how much it's going to cost, we're making it a robust functionality for Trade Hounds users so that they can know what to expect. 

What steps should a tradesperson take today to enroll before the January 15th deadline? 

Devin Rose:  
The cool thing with us is that there really isn't the same deadline. Even though the 15th is coming up, with us, there is no real closed open enrollment period. If you enroll by the 17th of each month, coverage will start by the 1st of the following.  

We're kind of going out and helping people get those group rates on even those individual plans. It's a little bit different setup than they may have traditionally heard of. That [deadline] is really for the federal marketplace open enrollment, and some states have extended that through the 31st. 

However, due to the nature of what we're offering to the tradespeople...it doesn't apply. You can get coverage for the rest of the year or change it down the road if something happens with your employment. 

How can a tradesperson or contractor find out if they’re eligible? 

Devin Rose:  
It's pretty cut and dry. We're currently serving 40 states, trying to go to all 50, but it gets a little complicated with health insurance. You're going to be told immediately whether or not we can work with you. 

What types of health insurance plans are available through Ironvest, and how do they compare to traditional employer coverage? 

Adam Weisberger:  
We offer traditional employer coverage. If someone owns a company, we can create a traditional group coverage for them.

We even have plans for individuals where they can get group rates, and it compares very favorably to their employer coverage. Sometimes it's actually even less. Not in every situation will we have exorbitant cost savings. Sometimes it might be a dollar, sometimes it might be $5 more. I did one the other day, $450 a month savings for one person. It was a specific circumstance, but...they all work very similarly to what everyone's expecting. 

Health insurance can feel intimidating because of all the terminology. Let’s start with some common terms. What is a premium? 

Adam Weisberger:  
That's the amount that you pay to get the coverage. That's your cost. As simple as that. 

What is a deductible? 

Adam Weisberger:
The deductible is the amount that the insured must pay until coverage kicks in. So I always liken it to your car. Everyone knows what their car insurance deductibles are. Well, you get in an accident, your first $1,000 is on you, and then the insurance company covers the balance. Same thing with health insurance.

I have to go a little deeper in this because some services are not part of the deductible. The deductible only is for certain things. And again, you pay your deductible and then the insurance company kicks in to start covering the balances.  

What is a copay? 

Adam Weisberger: 
That's the non-deductible part that I was just talking about. That's your flat fee. You go to your doctor, you pay $25 and they tell you and they do whatever they need to do. You go to your specialist and you pay $40 and they do whatever they need to do. That does not include deductible that is outside of that.  

What qualifies as an out- of-pocket maximum? 

Adam Weisberger: 
The out-of-pocket maximum is the maximum amount that the insured person will have to pay for any given need. For instance, if you get in a car accident and you get sent to the hospital, the emergency room, four surgeries, and you're in the hospital for a month, and you run up a million-dollar bill, your maximum out of pocket on certain plans is $10,150. So you are on the hook for $10,150. The balance is covered and paid for 100% by the insurance company. 

What’s the difference between PPOs, HMOs, and high-deductible health plans? 

Adam Weisberger: 
Let's start with the easiest one. HMO, because that's the one that a lot of people, especially older people know, because everyone hated them because you need a referral to go to a thing. The HMO, the insurance company dictates more about your health insurance than you do. There are very, very few of them out there because people hated them and the insurance companies started getting rid of them. 

Next one would be a PPO or an EPO. Basically, it eliminates the need for referrals to go to a specialist is effectively the main thing. So you go to your doctor, your doctor says, "Go see an orthopedist." If the orthopedist is in-network, go. You don't need to do any additional paperwork, anything upfront. That's the main difference between HMO, PPO, EPO. 

Does Ironvest coverage include preventative care like annual screenings and vaccinations? 

Adam Weisberger:  
Everything we do is fully ACA compliant. So you go to your doctor, you get your annual physical, they do whatever testing that they need to do, and you get on with your day and your life. Women get two visits per year, men get one, obviously fully 100% paid for, guaranteed. 

Can I keep my current doctors after switching to Ironvest coverage? 

Adam Weisberger: 
Here's the way it works: doctors are part of networks. Every insurance company has its own network. We have five networks that we can use, including Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, First Health, PHCS.

I had a situation where a client in Florida, her doctors weren't in Blue Cross, but they were all in First Health. So we went through the First Health plans, found one that fit for her in her budget, boom, done. She's insured now. 

What do people need to know about preexisting conditions? 

Adam Weisberger: 
It's a very general term. It could be that a pregnancy is a preexisting condition, or I just had a heart transplant, all preexisting conditions. Most of the time , these are covered with our plans. If someone's going through treatment for a specific thing, I would not recommend changing plans. They're different scenarios, but generally they're not an issue anymore. 

Are there any other common questions or topics users should know about? 

Adam Weisberger: 
It's an education a little bit, and really, math. making sure that their premium versus their deductible versus their max out-of-pocket. All those words, they're all numbers. If we work the math right, we can make sure that the person has the proper plan in the proper budget and understands what the best-case scenario and worst-case scenario will be with them so that they can protect themselves.

The number one reason for bankruptcy in this country is medical debt. So that's where that max out of pocket comes in so handy is you're not going bankrupt for a $10,000 bill because the hospital will take a payment plan. So it's protection on top. 

What about gig workers? 

Adam Weisberger: 
That's actually what we're designed for. Each of these plans are designed to have individual workers join part of it. What we're actually doing is we're actually taking those gig workers and making them part ownership of our company and allowing them to buy into our large group health insurance plan. We have over 150,000 members in our health insurance group. So, gig workers are just becoming part of our group and have access to all 62 of the optional plans that we have. 

Is the first outreach to Ironvest free for Trade Hounds users? 

Devin Rose:  
Yeah, they can absolutely DM us. They can click on that site, drop us an email.

I'm really excited to partner because the number of photos and videos of somebody putting a mail through their hand, there are some terrifying things. So anytime I see those, I'm like, "Can you please go visit our site because we need to make sure you're covered." 

But yeah, feel free. Send us a DM and make sure we have insurance. I think it's cool what you guys are doing. Some of those photos, I'm like, "Instagram would be banning it." So I appreciate that. 

Next Steps for Tradespeople Seeking Coverage 

Access to healthcare is essential for tradespeople, whether it’s for routine preventative care or unexpected injuries on the job. Ironvest’s team emphasizes that understanding your options, comparing plans, and knowing how premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums work can protect you and your family financially. 

If you’re a tradesperson or contractor looking for health insurance, now is the time to explore your options, ask questions, and find a plan that works for your unique situation. With resources like Ironvest, you don’t have to navigate healthcare alone — you can find coverage that fits your life, your work, and your budget. 

Watch the full Ironvest Q&A webinar below to get all the insights, tips, and real-world advice for navigating health insurance as a tradesperson.

About Trade Hounds  
Trade Hounds is America’s largest and most engaged community built exclusively for skilled tradespeople. With hundreds of thousands of users across construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, and more, the platform helps workers showcase their skills, share jobsite insights, connect with employers, and access critical resources that support their careers. Trade Hounds is committed to elevating and empowering the trades workforce through technology, community, and opportunity.  

About Ironvest Financial Partners  
Ironvest is an employee benefits marketplace designed to make essential benefits accessible and affordable for small businesses, independent contractors, and growing teams. Through its streamlined platform, Ironvest offers health insurance, retirement plans, payroll tools, and business insurance solutions—giving workers and employers an easy, transparent way to secure the protections they need. Ironvest’s mission is to democratize access to benefits traditionally available only through large employers, ensuring every worker has a path to financial security and well-being.