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Is it common to have some sort of benefit package with long-term
contracts?
Only if you contract through a contract labor placement agency (also
commonly called a "job shop"). Not when (as in your case) the contract
is directly between the person doing the work and the 'end-user'
company hiring the contract labor.
Do most of you carry your own individual health insurance, or are you
able to rely on a spouse or relative for that?
If we are individuals who contract directly, then the answer is YES,
it is one or the other of the above.
How hard is it to find individual policies that are both affordable
and actually useful?
Pretty hard. The trick is to be healthy. The other trick is to try and
find insurance that will only kick in in a situation where your cost
will be very high... say a five or ten thousand dollar deductible. You
pay COB (cash on the barrelhead) when you see the doctor or buy drugs.
You carry credit cards with high limits to cover your deductible in the
event of accident or serious illness.
Remember, being in business involves TAKING RISKS... and being a direct
contractor means you are in business.
Price your services to account for some of this.
Gary Clark
Las Vegas, Nevada
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