Recap of Collective’s July 30, 2026 webinar. Hosted by Marissa Achanzar, Strategic Content & Education Lead at Collective, alongside Allison Scopinich, Director of Member Services at Solo Health, and Clay, also from Solo Health. The session covered how Solo Health’s business-based health plans work, how the Collective and Solo Health partnership embeds insurance directly into the Collective dashboard, and how self-employed health insurance premiums become tax deductible. The live Q&A ran long, with attendees submitting more than 20 questions by the end of the session.
Shopping for your own health insurance is one of the harder parts of running a solo business. There’s no HR department to call, no one to double-check your thinking, and marketplace pricing rarely reflects what a healthy, self-employed person actually uses. That was the starting point for Collective’s July 30 webinar with health insurance partner Solo Health, a session built to walk solopreneurs through how coverage actually works, how it becomes deductible, and how the two companies’ new partnership fits into the Collective back office.
This recap pulls the key points, numbers, and audience questions directly from that session.
What the webinar covered
- Why finding health insurance alone is uniquely hard for solopreneurs, and how Solo Health approaches it differently
- How Solo Health’s business-based plan works: network, deductible structure, and HSA eligibility
- The four requirements for when a self-employed health insurance premium actually becomes tax deductible
- How that deduction lands differently for a single-member LLC versus an S Corp election
- How Collective and Solo Health’s integrated dashboard experience works, including the wellness credit
- Highlights from the 20+ question live Q&A
Why health insurance is so confusing when you’re on your own
Presented by Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
Health plan documents are written for HR and benefits teams, not for one person comparing options alone. Without an HR department to call, most solopreneurs are left making a major financial decision with no one to check their thinking. Individual-market pricing compounds the problem: costs on the marketplace continue to climb, and cheaper off-marketplace alternatives often come with real gaps, including limited daily payouts, no out-of-network benefits, or fixed indemnity structures that only reveal their limits once someone actually needs care.
How Solo Health’s plan works
Presented by Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
Solo Health’s model is structured around the business, not the individual: the business becomes the entity that sets up the plan, the same structure a traditional employer uses, except the solopreneur is both the employer and the employee. Key features of the plan:
- A nationwide PPO network with access to a large multi-plan provider network across all 50 states, no referrals required for specialists.
- Preventive care covered at 100% before the deductible kicks in.
- HSA-eligible plan designs on two of the three available plans.
- Deductible equals out-of-pocket maximum, with no coinsurance, so once it’s met, the plan pays 100% for the rest of the year aside from prescription copays.
- Dental and vision available as optional add-ons through Delta Dental and VSP.
- No open enrollment window. Coverage can start any month, though deductibles reset every January 1st.
Eligibility comes down to two things: an active EIN and a short health questionnaire. No PEO or association membership required.
Here’s how Solo Health compares to the other paths people typically consider when leaving a W-2 job or shopping solo:
When self-employed health insurance becomes a tax deduction
Presented by Marissa Achanzar, Collective
Having a health insurance policy and getting a tax deduction for it are two different things. A policy can be in place and still not qualify for the write-off if a few specific conditions aren’t met:
- The business shows a profit. The deduction can’t exceed what the business earned. For an S Corp owner, this also means the owner’s reasonable salary needs to cover the premium amount.
- The plan is “established under the business.” The policy can be in the individual’s name or the business’s name whether filing on Schedule C or as an S Corp, but S Corps face a stricter reporting requirement: the premium has to show up on the W-2.
- No subsidized coverage elsewhere. For any month the deduction is claimed, neither the business owner nor their spouse can be eligible for subsidized coverage through another job.
- Coverage for family counts. Premiums for the owner, their spouse, dependents, and children under 27 can all factor into the deduction.
Self-employed health insurance can exist without meeting this criteria; it simply may not translate into a deduction.
LLC vs. S Corp: where the deduction actually lands
Presented by Marissa Achanzar, Collective
Business structure changes the mechanics of the deduction, though not its ultimate destination on the return:
| Single-member LLC | LLC with S Corp election | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s reported | Never touches Schedule C; claimed above-the-line on Schedule 1 of Form 1040 | Deducted as a business expense on the S Corp return (Form 1120-S), added to W-2 Box 1 wages but excluded from Boxes 3 and 5, then claimed again on Schedule 1 |
| Net effect | Lowers income tax; self-employment tax still applies to that amount | Lowers income tax and reduces the self-employment tax hit on that premium |
Both paths land the deduction in the same place. An S Corp election simply routes the premium through payroll first, which is what unlocks the self-employment tax savings piece.
On S Corp eligibility specifically: the IRS does not impose a profit threshold for making the election. Collective’s general rule of thumb, shared during the session, is that profit in the range of $60,000 or more tends to be where an S Corp election’s tax savings start to outweigh the added administrative work. That’s a savings-opportunity guideline, not an IRS requirement.
How Collective and Solo Health work together
Presented by Marissa Achanzar, Collective, with Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
For Collective members, Solo Health now lives inside the Collective dashboard under an Insurance tab, alongside bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, and tax filing. The flow: fill out a short questionnaire, get a quote, choose a deductible. If a quote doesn’t come back automatically, members can book time directly with the Solo Health team.
Collective members who set up a plan through Solo Health can apply a $100 annual wellness credit toward their premium, applied automatically. The partnership launched the week before this webinar, and had already logged more than 100 consultations and quote requests by the time of the session.
“Health insurance magnifies the value of Collective and Solo Health teaming up together.” — Marissa Achanzar, Collective
Live Q&A highlights
The session’s Q&A ran for roughly 25 minutes and covered more than 20 attendee questions. Allison and Marissa tag-teamed most of them live; the recurring themes are consolidated below.
Is Solo Health cheaper than my current health insurance plan?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
This was one of the more frequently raised questions in the session. Pricing is based on age and zip code, so cost comparisons vary from person to person, and Solo Health cannot offer subsidies the way the marketplace can for those currently receiving one. Value isn’t only about monthly cost: nationwide out-of-network coverage and a simpler plan structure factor in for many members too. A side-by-side comparison against a current plan summary is available on request.
How does Solo Health handle pre-existing conditions?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
This was one of the most frequently asked questions of the session, including specific concern about rejection rates. Solo Health uses a short health questionnaire as part of enrollment, since it operates as a self-funded, captive-style plan rather than an ACA marketplace plan, with a different underwriting process. Once approved and on the plan, there are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions on covered claims.
“Once someone is eligible and on the plan, there’s never a time we say we won’t cover a claim because it was a pre-existing condition.” — Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
Specific personal health history is addressed one-on-one rather than in a general session.
What does the plan actually cover, including mental health and family coverage?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
This question came in as several related parts, covering family plans, mental health, specialists, and visit limits. ACA-required preventive care is covered at 100% before the deductible. Mental health and specialist visits are covered after the deductible is met, then paid at 100%. Family plans are available, with no rate increase once three or more dependents are added. There is no cap on specialist visits or hospital days, aside from a stated limit on certain therapy-type services outlined in the plan documents. Emergency care carries no network restriction; care can be received at the nearest hospital.
Can I switch to Solo Health mid-year from my current plan?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
This was asked more than once, both about leaving a partner’s plan and about switching from a marketplace plan specifically. Enrollment does not require a qualifying life event or open enrollment window, so switching is available any month. Two things to keep in mind: the deductible always resets on January 1st regardless of when someone joins, and it’s worth confirming the cancellation notice period on a current plan to avoid paying for two plans at once.
How much can I contribute to an HSA if I have a Solo Health plan?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
This came up as two related questions, on contribution limits and then on rollover rules. Two of Solo Health’s three plans are HSA-eligible. Current IRS limits allow $4,400 for individuals and $8,750 for families in 2026, rising to $4,500 and $9,000 in 2027, regardless of which deductible is chosen. Unlike an FSA, HSA funds roll over year to year and can be invested.
Does Solo Health count as a health-sharing plan?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
No. Solo Health is a registered major medical plan, meaning it covers the ACA’s ten essential benefit categories, including emergency care, mental health, and cancer treatment. This differs from health-sharing plans and fixed indemnity plans, which don’t carry the same coverage floor.
Do you offer coverage if I move outside the U.S.?
Answered by: Allison Scopinich, Solo Health
Emergency care is covered internationally on a reimbursement basis. Routine, non-emergency care outside the U.S. is not covered, with one exception: virtual therapy sessions still count as U.S.-based telemedicine regardless of where the member is physically located.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice.
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With over eight years in public accounting, Marissa has worked closely with small business owners to navigate tax strategy and compliance. At Collective, she translates complex tax concepts for self-employed individuals into clear, practical content—supporting them on their tax journey so they feel informed, confident, and empowered to make decisions for their business.