Health insurance can be confusing and prohibitively expensive for many independent creative professionals and small arts nonprofits. In October 2025, Mirror Indy created this helpful guide about many options available to Hoosiers.
For Individuals:
Here are a few tips to find affordable health care:
Talk to a navigator to learn about your options for health insurance. Navigating how to get and stay insured can be complex. People can’t sign-up for or switch their insurance whenever they want. There are also discounts and application processes to work through. But there are people, called Navigators, who are trained to provide free help! You can find a local Navigator at localhelp.healthcare.gov.
Try a low-cost clinic. Regardless of insurance status, healthcare can still be prohibitively expensive. Even insured people still avoid needed care for fear of the cost. That’s why federally qualified health centers, which are more commonly referred to as “low-cost clinics,” exist. They often look like any other clinic, but offer discounts on their healthcare for people who qualify for them based on income. Find them at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
Explore benefits platforms that leverage group negotiating power to offer more affordable rates to individuals. A couple of options include www.IndianaHealthCoverage.org (Farm Bureau Health Insurance), Catch.co and Opolis.
Find affordable mental health support. The Marion County Public Health Department has launched a new online program to help residents with mental health. The confidential tool, CredibleMind, has a library containing thousands of free resources, including meditations, guided programs and assessments for mental health conditions. It also includes a list of local providers for counseling, crisis support, substance use treatment, shelter and food access.
Explore a subscription service. Individuals can also opt into a health support membership service to access telehealth, affordable pharmaceuticals, and assistance finding affordable services like tests and scans for as low as $18/month. One such service is freshbenies.
For Employers:
As a small business or small nonprofit with employees, consider ChamberCare MEWA (multiple employer welfare arrangement) for Indy Chamber members or Indiana Chamber members
These tips are purely informational. Indy Arts Council has no affiliation with any of these entities.