Open Enrollment periods for the Affordable Health Care Act and Medicare open soon! Call your InsuranceExperts.team member to shorten your learning curve and navigate the options.
Do You Need Critical Care Coverage?
Now what? Linda, age 45 has been diagnosed with a critical illness.
Linda, a very successful realtor, was suddenly diagnosed with cancer. This was very
unexpected as she had no family history of cancer. After surgery, she had to undergo
chemotherapy for six months. During that time, she was unable to work.
Fortunately, Linda at age 40, had purchased a $100,000 Critical Illness policy that
provided a lump sum benefit of $100,000 that she was able to use to cover lost wages and
even for an experimental cancer treatment.
This type of policy will also cover a medically induced coma for certain conditions such
as complications that accompany COVID-19.
Another type of critical illness is heart disease. Read more about preventing heart
disease at any age here.
Even the best health insurance may leave you with deductible and out-of-pocket costs
to meet. They are, regretfully, more common than we would like to think. Nobody can truly plan for a critical illness. However, you can prepare with reasonable actions for the unexpected. Call me today for a quote and details.
COBRA or an Affordable Care Act plan… which one is best for you?
If you have recently lost your employer group health insurance, you may be given the opportunity to participate in COBRA which will allow you to continue with the employer group plan. However, it will be at a cost of approximately 50% more than the premium you paid while employed. Rather than accepting a premium you may not be able to afford, you have the option to choose an Affordable Care Act plan and may even qualify for a subsidy which reduces your premium.
For example, there is a gentleman who lost his job in May and his COBRA was going to be $700/month. Due to his lost wages, he qualified for a subsidized Affordable Care Act plan with a monthly premium of $160 and added a supplemental plan with a monthly premium of $140 to cover his $8,000 deductible. His total monthly premium is $300/month for a savings of $400/month from his COBRA plan.
I can help you through the maze of health insurance choices. There is no cost for my services and my goal is to create a health insurance portfolio of services that fit your needs and budget. Contact me today.
Zoom-along through COVID-19
During this time of social distancing, I can help you with health insurance needs from ages 2 to 102 in a Zoom online appointment. You will be able to see exactly what you would if we were to meet in person. I can help you, or others you know, who are:
• Recently unemployed and want to save hundreds of dollars off COBRA premiums
• Starting a small business
• Going through any other life transitions
• Wanting to look at different options
I represent all the major health insurance carriers and together, we can create a comprehensive health insurance solution to fit your budget.
COBRA
You were just laid off… options other than COBRA can save you money.
Most employers offer continuing insurance coverage where you can temporarily continue your health insurance coverage through a federal law known as COBRA.
Congress passed the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) two decades ago to give families an insurance safety net. Before then, people who lost health insurance at work often had trouble qualifying for coverage when they tried to buy it on their own. They would get turned down or face exorbitant premiums if they had pre-existing health conditions.
So what does that really mean? When your employer provides health insurance benefits, they typically pay 50% and you pay 50% of the monthly premium. If you choose COBRA, you will be paying the employer’s portion (50%) and your portion (50%) plus a 2% administrative fee.
Purchasing your own health insurance can save you money. Look at these examples where one spouse was laid off. (Neither of these couples qualify for an Affordable Care Act subsidy. Affordable Care Act Plan premiums would be very similar to COBRA.)
A family of four with a couple in their 40s and two children
- COBRA monthly premium is $1442
- Extended 36 month short term plan monthly premium of $738
A married couple in their mid 50s:
- COBRA monthly premium is $1701
- Extended 36 month short term plan monthly premium of $830
You have choices…contact me for a free comparison!
