UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Co. has teamed with the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) to offer personal health insurance choices to its membership of entrepreneurs, micro-business owners and other self-employed businesspeople.

The new plans for individuals and families are offered in 20 states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as in Washington, D.C. The partners said the program would expand to North Carolina and West Virginia this March.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau statistics for 2007, Pennsylvania had more than 771,500 non-employer businesses operated by self-employed men and women, Virginia had more than 502,000 businesses and the District had more than 42,400.

The health plans include co-pays similar to traditional employer-sponsored coverage as well as high deductible health plans that work in tandem with health savings accounts, UnitedHealthcare said in a statement. Today, nearly one-third of the insurer’s Golden Rule’s current customers are covered by HSA plans because of the premium savings, tax advantages and control over health care spending these accounts offer.

NASE members choosing one of the health plans also will have access to UnitedHealthcare’s extensive network of more than 600,000 physicians and health care professionals and 5,000 hospitals.  Network discounts can result in additional savings to consumers, even before they meet their annual deductibles.

Non-profit, non-partisan NASE was established in 1981 to provide day-to-day support, benefits and consolidated buying power for the self-employed and owners of micro-businesses.

Richard A. Collins

“The NASE has a long history of advocating for lower costs, increased access and parity for the self-employed when it comes to health coverage,” said Robert Hughes, NASE president, in a statement. “But our members and all micro-business owners need options today that provide both choice and meaningful coverage. The new NASE/Golden Rule plans offer just that.”

Richard A. Collins, CEO for Golden Rule and president of UnitedHealthcare’s individual line of business, said the insurer is “pleased” to work with the organization “to make quality health insurance coverage available for the large number of self-employed men and women who are dealing with rising health care costs in a difficult economy.

“NASE members will find a choice of quality health insurance plans as well as a wide range of deductibles, enhancements and optional benefits so coverage can be tailored to meet each family’s unique health care and budget needs,” he said.