Healthcare Open Enrollment: November 1st through December 15th
That’s right, you can have it all! This year, Roo is once again partnering with Stride Health to bring our Relief Veterinarians and Technicians health insurance benefits! Stride specializes in helping independent contractors save time and money getting all the important coverages they need including health, vision, dental, and more!
The best part: they make it easy for busy Vets and Techs to find a plan that's right for you quickly so you’re not wasting precious time digging through health plans. You can get started now using this link:
Learn more about Roo's partnership with Stride Health
If you need health coverage for 2026, we recommend starting your process early this year as you may see some changes in the marketplace. Giving yourself extra time to shop and compare plans will help you find a healthcare solution that’s right for you and your budget.
When is open enrollment?
Open enrollment runs from November 1st through December 15th for coverage starting on January 1st, 2025. As a reminder, this is the only time all year you can join a new health plan unless you have a major life-changing event such as changing jobs or getting married.
You can apply for an extension through January 15, but this could result in a brief lapse in coverage.
How does it work?
Stride is an official partner of Healthcare.gov who saves you the legwork of sifting through dozens if not hundreds of health plans. Their simplified application only takes 10 minutes to fill out, and they’ve got a team of experts standing by to help you find the perfect plan tailored just for you.
In fact, thanks to our partnership, all Roo Vets and Techs will receive dedicated support from Stride if you have any questions during open enrollment.
Why Stride? They built their enrollment experience specifically for independent contractors. You’ll get personalized recommendations based on your location, doctors, and coverage needs. Have a preferred doctor you want to ensure is included in your plan? No problem, just add them during the enrollment process to make sure they’ll be covered under any recommended plans.
Stride also ensures you get every tax credit possible so you can rest easy knowing you’ve got the best health benefits for the lowest price. Remember, as an independent contractor, you have access to additional tax write-offs to help you keep more of your hard-earned relief income.
Questions about open enrollment?
If you have any questions about coverage options, how this all works, or just want to make a new friend who works at Stride, you can reach out to support@stridehealth.com or call (415) 930-9110. Be sure to let them know you're a Roo Vet or Tech for faster support.
Additionally, you can live chat with a licensed Stride agent by clicking that chat bubble in the bottom right corner of the Stride healthcare enrollment page.
The only way to know you’re getting the best possible coverage for sure is to take a look around. Ten minutes is a small price to pay for ultimate peace of mind.
AVMA PLIT: Professional liability and license defense coverage
This is a great time to renew your personal liability and license defense coverages for the new year as well. Our partnership with the AVMA PLIT (Professional Liability Insurance Trust) gives Roo Relief Vets and Techs access to best in class, affordable professional liability and license defense coverage. While this is not a requirement to work shifts through Roo, we highly recommend protecting your finances and license to practice with these essential coverages.
We want to make it easy to get the protections you need so you can practice with confidence!
Roo Resources: Your relief career's best friend
As always, Roo is in your corner with everything you need to make managing your career simpler and more convenient. We constantly strive to make the relief experience a breeze, and that means providing amazing resources to you to support your relief career.
Here are some of the great resources we've created just for you:
- Health Benefits: Roo makes it easy for relief vets and techs to get healthcare through Stride! We've got health, dental, vision, life, and even professional liability and license defense coverages right here waiting for you!
- Tax Support: Tax season is on the way, but don't worry, Roo's got you covered! Our comprehensive tax guides and partnership with Fit Money CPA will prepare you to take on tax season with confidence!
- DVM Licensing Guide: Looking ahead to renewing your license? Want to quickly check your CE requirements? Interested in getting licensed in another state to become a travel vet? Roo’s comprehensive licensing guides boil down the practice acts of 34 states to make getting and renewing your veterinary license a breeze! Arizona, Georgia, and Virginia licenses expire on 12/31, pop in and check out what it will cost to renew and how many CE hours you'll need.
- Relief Guides: Nervous for your first relief experience? We’ve collected every resource we could find to help you get your relief career off the ground so you can take on your first shift with confidence!
And so much more! All these great benefits and more will are available to Roo Relief Veterinarians and Technicians all the time, and they're completely free!
Finally, every Roo veterinarian and technician will get the benefits they deserve.
Originally Posted 11/1/23
