I can help clients with these Life Situations:
Small Business Owner? Do you need to help employees find coverage and/or provide them some benefits?
Health Insurance for Small Businesses
I will work with you on benefits you want to have accessible for your employees, and be your free “insurance specialist” to help employees navigate the benefit market. Article: Think you can’t afford Fringe Benefits for Employees? Think Again!
Losing your parent’s coverage / Turning 26? Are you a young adult needing your own coverage?
Health Insurance for Young Adults
“Adulting” is a scary buzzword for young adults. I know because I have two daughters in their 20’s who are having to make big life decisions, including choosing their health coverage. And as a momma bear, I want to be sure they’re taken care of!
Young adults are going through a lot of growth, whether it’s stepping out on their own, getting married / starting a family, or developing their career. Any of these situations can mean they need to leave their parent’s health policy, and they need to find coverage that grows with them. Healthcare is tricky, confusing and hard to navigate, so it’s super important to me to give them the best guidance possible so they can make good decisions.
If you are a healthy young adult, you may not think you need to get health insurance, but you are wrong! It is important to protect yourself in case of accidental injuries at any age. If you wait until you need the coverage, it’s too late! Your best healthcare option can change over time, as your situation changes. I can be your life-time health advisor to help you re-evaluate your best coverage options every year.
Employer offers coverage, but too expensive to add family? Do you need options for your spouse & family?
Often, employers pay all or part of their employees’ health coverage but do not contribute toward the spouse/family coverage, making these payments too expensive for many families. I was in this situation but was able to find less-expensive private health coverage options. Let me help you find the options available to you.
Starting your own business / Self-Employed / Retiring early? Do you need coverage until you are Medicare-eligible?
For middle-aged adults, needing health insurance isn’t usually a question but deciding which plan to get can be very confusing. Like most of you, I’ve spent my life working in corporate America and I haven’t had to think too much about my health insurance because it was provided by my employer. Maybe you’re considering starting your own business, or retiring early (before Medicare at 65). I made the decision to leave my corporate job a few years ago to start a small business and now I am self-employed. I thought my only options for health insurance were company plans through COBRA, my husband’s work plan (both of which were VERY expensive), or the marketplace. I luckily learned that there is another good option: private health plans.
We all know age isn’t an indicator of health. Although I am an empty-nester, I am very healthy and do not use much medical care (outside of wellness benefits). The marketplace plans only take age and income into consideration, making it expensive coverage for healthy adults, whereas the private health plans instead consider age and health.
In addition to price, many of us empty-nesters like to travel to visit our family or vacation, so accessing healthcare across the country is important. Unfortunately, marketplace plans require you to use restrictive local networks, whereas many private plans utilize nationwide PPO networks – a big plus!
Private plans may save you money and give you flexibility and choice. I would love to help you evaluate your healthcare options to see if a private plan is a good fit for you!
Lose your job? Do you need options which are less expensive than COBRA?
What happens if I lose my health insurance? It’s such a scary question. When I lost my job a few years back, the company provided information about COBRA. I was shocked at how expensive it was – how could I afford it at all, especially without a job? Aren’t there any other options? I considered going without insurance, but I know that unprotected health claims are the #1 reason for bankruptcy in the US, and I wasn’t willing to take that risk. I wish I had known then what I know now.
When leaving your job (either voluntarily or involuntarily) there are actually 3 options in most parts of the country – COBRA, marketplace, and private plans.
• COBRA is certainly a consideration, although it is often the most expensive option.
• Marketplace plans only offer limited networks, but can be a good option if you fall into a lower income bracket and qualify for substantial tax credits or have pre-existing conditions.
• Private healthcare plans offer nationwide PPO plans, if you are relatively healthy and want more convenience and choice at a lower price point.
If you are used to having employer coverage, marketplace and private plans will look a little different to you. Most have deductibles and coinsurance, instead of the copays you may be used to. But there are other supplemental products which help to fill the gaps, and give you the coverage you need at an affordable price (see “Types of Plans [link] for more information).
When you need to bridge the health insurance gap and don’t know for how long, it’s nice to know there are options beyond COBRA.
Let me help you demystify health insurance, to find the option that’s best for you!
