Our fees are paid 100% by the insurance companies we represent. It is important to note, this does not change the premium amount you pay for health insurance. In fact by law, you will pay the exact same amount for the same health insurance plan whether you purchase it from an agent, broker, online, by telephone or direct from the company.
So this is the rare case when you get the benefit of 20+ years of experience at no additional cost!
Open Enrollment works differently for group health insurance vs. for individual health insurance.
For Group Health Insurance: For coverage effective January 1, 2019, if we submit your enrollment paperwork between 11/15/18 – 12/15/18 (Open Enrollment) there are no participation requirements. With participation requirements being generally 50% – 70% if applying any other time of year, for many companies this allows them to successfully enroll in a health plan, when otherwise they may not qualify due to low participation numbers.
For Individual Health Insurance: We’ll want to apply between November 1, 2018 and December 15, 2018 for a 1/1/2019 effective date.
Purchasing health insurance or not is certainly an individual decision. If you have assets, whether you have health issues or not, health insurance is a wise investment as a hedge against the prospect of expensive health challenges eroding those assets or worse; bankruptcy. If you have ongoing health conditions, having health insurance generally makes receiving treatment easier, more robust and more seamless. Additionally, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you are now required by law to have health insurance or pay a penalty:
https://www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/
The penalty is calculated 2 different ways – as a percentage of your household income, and per person. You’ll pay whichever is higher. The fee rises with inflation.
Pre-existing health conditions will never be an issue.
Small group health insurance premiums are based on rate filings with the State. These filings take into account geographical area, industry and age but do not factor in your past medical history nor current medical conditions.
Large group (100+ employees), self-funded, partially self-funded and level funded plans will all look at the overall health of the group in order to make underwriting decisions and calculate premiums.
Under the Affordable Care Act, individual health plans are no longer underwritten, meaning the insurance company does not look into your past medical history nor current medical conditions.
It will generally take 2 – 4 weeks for a new health insurance policy to be issued. However the closer we get to the end of the calendar year, the longer policy issuance takes. It is always best to apply sooner rather than later. Additionally, you never cancel your current policy until you receive written confirmation that your new coverage has been issued.
The steps for enrolling in a group health insurance plan are simple:
You can shop for and enroll in an Anthem Colorado individual health plan HERE
We can help you shop for a plan if you submit your information HERE
If you qualify for a subsidy, APTC or if you want to purchase a Cigna plan you will need to create an account on Connect For Health Colorado before contacting us so that we can most effectively assist you.
If you qualify for a subsidy, APTC (check HERE) you will also want to complete the financial assistance application in advance.
Health Insurance is more important and at the same time more complicated than ever. Let us help you to better understand your options for 2018. We are available by phone, email and always happy to schedule a face-to-face at your convenience. Don't wait until the last minute, Call US Today at 720-515-9348