For a Georgia entrepreneur, health coverage has never been affordable

July 7, 2026 - 12:20

For Amy Bielawski, health insurance has always felt like a luxury she could not justify. As one of the roughly 30 million Americans who run their own small businesses, she has spent most of her adult life without coverage. The monthly premiums on the individual market are simply too high for her budget, and the deductibles make the plans feel useless for routine care.

Bielawski runs a small consulting firm from her home in Georgia. She is not alone in this struggle. Many self-employed workers face the same impossible math: pay hundreds of dollars a month for a plan they cannot afford to use, or take the risk of going uninsured. She has chosen the latter for years, relying on urgent care clinics and hoping she stays healthy.

The problem is not new, but it has become more acute as medical costs rise faster than the income of most small business owners. Bielawski says she has looked into every option, including plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Even with subsidies, the costs are still out of reach. She describes the situation as a constant source of stress, knowing that one serious accident or illness could wipe out her savings.

For now, she continues to work and pay her bills, but health coverage remains an expense she simply cannot fit into her life.