Fixing the Holes in your Health Insurance with Accident Plans

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Look at two things.
1. Insurance prices are controlled by the state. This means every agent has the same prices for each insurance company. Two: Every insurance company treats pre-existing conditions differently. Knowing which company to go with can mean the difference between getting approved and denied.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Ask the agent how many companies he/she represent. If it is only one, be careful because they will have to try to sell you on that plan. By representing all the major carriers, I have the freedom to be objective and find the best fit for you.
Also, ask how long they have been in the business. I have been doing this since 2003. There are a number of agencies that hire agents every week knowing that they won't or can't make a career out of it.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Have a list of pre-existing conditions going back seven years handy. Most people have a few medical issues and giving me this info upfront will narrow down your choices and avoid wasted time. Also know how much you can reasonably spend on health or life insurance. I can usually find something in any price range. The important thing is to have something in place.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Believe it or not, there is an art to putting together health and life plans that are affordable and offer the protection you want. Underwriting rules are different for each company and with rising rates it is a challenge to make insurance affordable. There are a number of ways to do this that other agents simply don't bother with and that gives me a satisfaction.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I had put a family of 5 in a $5,000 deductible HSA health insurance plan paired with a $5,000 accident policy. Initially I saved them over $150/month from their old plan.
Later that year the son broke his arm playing sports. The accident plan covered their deductible so they ended up only paying $100 out of pocket for a $10,000 claim. In addition, the deductible was met for everyone for the rest of the year so they didn't have to spend another penny on medical bills for that year.