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Originally posted 2009-10-20 19:11:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If you are one of the 42,ooo insured through American Community in Michigan, good news!  Golden Rule, a unit of UnitedHealth Group Inc, has agreed to provide health coverage to those who had individual medical insurance plans.

What about pre-existing conditions?

The option of transferring your coverage to Golden Rule Insurance will be on a guaranteed basis.

Who will my doctors be?

Once enrolled in Golden Rule plans you will have access to the provider network managed by UnitedHealthcare, another unit of Golden Rules’s parent, UnitedHealth.

When would my plan start?

If you take advantage of the guaranteed issue offer, your new coverage with Golden Rule will take effect on August 15, 2010

What will my rates be?

You will have the option to purchase a guaranteed-issue plan with no waiting periods or preexisting condition exclusions or limitations at standard new business rates.

Questions?

Contact Golden Rule/United Healthcare at goldenrule.com

Originally posted 2010-06-15 11:42:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Aetna is one of the first carriers to offer extended health insurance coverage to dependents under age 26.  If you didn’t already know, the recent healthcare reform allows parents to keep dependent children up to age 26 on their health insurance plans.

With so many adult children graduating from college, Aetna saw the need and worry of families regarding their kids losing medical coverage.  Although healthcare reform addresses this issue nationwide later this year through regulation, Aetna is working with customers to extend coverage now.

This means current dependents under the age of 26 would not have to leave their Aetna Michigan plan when normally they would age out or are no longer full-time students.  This is also extended to adult children who would have lost eligibility effective May 31,2010.

An important note.  It does not include reinstatement of dependents who previously aged out of their plan.  It also does not affect dental, vision, standalone pharmacy or other benefits.

Aetna will continue coverage effective June 1, 2010 for dependents under age 26 who are currently covered on a parent’s medical plan.

Best news ever?  Aetna will not change the plan’s premium until renewal.

On the next renewal date on or after September 23, 2010 due to healthcare reform, all medical plans must cover dependents up to age 26.  This may include dependents who are not currently enrolled in the plan.

If you have questions about how this will affect you, please contact us at 888.320.5388.

Get a quote on Aetna Michigan health plans:

Originally posted 2010-05-26 10:19:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Today was interesting.  Called someone who had expressed interest in finding health insurance.  When he realized I was an insurance agent, he claimed that he was not the person I was looking for.  Must have had the wrong number.  Get’s better.  Another call was to a young lady who was also in the market.  Got upset that she was running out of minutes, so she would not be able to talk.  Click.  Then I got a message from a blocked number that us insurance agents need to get a life, to stop *expletive* calling, they don’t want any *expletive* insurance.  Still trying to figure out who not to call.  : )

The point is, I am not upset, angered, or annoyed by any of this.  It comes with the territory of being in sales.  What I have never understood, is why.  Why take the time to claim you aren’t really you?  Or go through the trouble to curse out my voicemail?

We are all busy.  Understandable.  The onslaught of phone calls that one gets while researching insurance is crazy.  There are agents that make it bad for the rest.  They focus more on getting their pitch in, rather than actually listening to the client.  Who wants 8 or 9 phone calls like that?  Surely not me.

There has to be a better way.  Maybe it comes from the insurance agent being less about them and more about the client.   Asking questions that helps the client understand that we are not wasting their time.  Then, just maybe, they won’t have to waste energy coming up with creative ways to not talk to you.

B

Follow me on Twitter:  MICHInsurance

Originally posted 2009-07-23 09:01:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Wondering what health insurance companies are going to offer individual insurance on a guaranteed basis once an individual exhausts their cobra coverage?

Until 2014 it looks as if Michigan residents have one choice for guaranteed issue.  BCBS of Michigan.  While other companies such as Aetna, Assurant, Humana, Golden Rule, and Cigna will eventually follow suit.  It is doubtful that they will do so prior to the deadline in which the law states you can no longer be denied for a pre-existing condition.

It remains to be seen if health insurance companies get creative.  By creative, let’s say you cannot be denied for pre-existing condition, but you can be denied due to credit history?  Or similar to auto insurance, your premium is determined by your credit history instead of you health history?

If one thing remains consistent, private companies will find a way to survive legislation…Wow, now that we are completely off track….

If you currently have COBRA health insurance, THAT DOES NOT mean you are guaranteed coverage as of 2010.  You must still pass underwriting guidelines in order to get coverage.  This is a common misconception.

According to recent news, the state of Michigan will be creating a Michigan High Risk Pool by the end of the year.  The benefit to Michigan residents will be that those who currently do not qualify for traditional coverage will have something to fall back on.  You will have more options with the high risk pool, instead of just choosing for BCBS of Michigan.

If you have questions about upcoming changes in the State of Michigan, contact one of our brokers at 888.320.5388.

Originally posted 2010-05-07 09:08:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The simplest answer to this question is NO.  According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse you need to know the following:

Insurance companies. MediCal and Medicare are government health plans and can require a Social Security number. Most insurers providing individual health insurance policies cannot require your Social Security number. However, they might refuse to issue a policy if you don’t provide your Social Security number.

A new Mandatory Insurer Reporting Law (Section 111 of Public Law 110-173) requires group health plan insurers to report SSNs in order for Medicare to coordinate payments with other insurance benefits. The law was enacted in late 2007 but became effective on January 1, 2009. As a subscriber (or spouse or family member of a subscriber) to a group health plan arrangement, your SSN will likely be requested in order to meet the requirements of this law if this information is not already on file with your insurer. Similarly, individuals who receive ongoing reimbursement for medical care through no-fault insurance or workers’ compensation or who receive a settlement, judgment or award from liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, or workers’ compensation will be asked to furnish information concerning their SSN.

For more information about this law see:

• http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MandatoryInsRep/

Originally posted 2010-03-31 05:48:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A co-payment is a fixed-dollar amount that you are responsible for paying for a particular medical service. For example, many plans have $35 co-payments for doctor’s visits. This means it only costs you $35 to see a doctor. Most individual Michigan health insurance plans offer doctor co-pays between $35-$50

Originally posted 2009-07-31 18:36:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Health Insurance can be one of the most frustrating things to shop for.  Trying to understand deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance.  As if you didn’t have enough things to do in your day.  Now you have to try and navigate all this insurance jargon.

With the ever increasing precense of the internet, more and more people are taking the do-it-yourself route when it comes to shopping for insurance.  Whether it’s for their car, their home, or their medical coverage, they enjoy the ease of getting multiple quotes in one place.  I myself have shopped for insurance this way.

I own a small business unrelated.  I was without health insurance.  Prior to getting in to the insurance field, I experienced first hand the frustation of shopping for health insurance.  I would choose the cheapest plan that looked great, office visits, decent deductible.  Only to get a bill from my doctor later, going WTH?  I tried going through a broker.  Maybe my first clue should have been him requesting me to come to his house to discuss coverage.  That plan sucked too.  Of course I didn’t know it until I had to use it.

And there in lies the frustration with health insurance.  While it serves it’s purpose in keeping us financially secure.  My expection of what I was purchasing was not inline with what I was actually getting.

So when I say it’s up to you.  What I mean is that it’s important to ask the right questions.  What does the coverage do if X happens?  What about Y?  If I get cancer is that included in the coverage I purchased?  What about prescription coverage.  I see that it’s included, but do I need to get approval before I go to the pharmacist.

By asking all the right questions up front you can alleviate some of the frustration that you run into on the back end.  Of course when you shop online, who are you going to talk to?  Well, there is a reason why they have a talk to live support on most insurance websites.

Make sure you do you due diligence. If it seems confusing consult a licensed agent.  While most of the time your dealing with guys/gals who are hounding you because of a quote request.  It’s amazing how helpful they will be answer questions when you are calling them.  Agents know their stuff.  Thats why they have a license.  Good luck!

Originally posted 2009-07-09 04:40:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

An out-of-pocket expense is any cost you have to pay yourself when receiving medical care. This includes your deductible, co-payments, and coinsurance. Most Michigan health insurance policies have an annual maximum out-of-pocket expense. Once you’ve reached your maximum out of pocket in a calendar year, your insurance company will pay 100% of the rest of your covered medical costs.

Originally posted 2009-07-31 18:42:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A deductible is an amount of medical expenses you are responsible for paying before your Michigan insurance starts covering you. A common deductible is $500 this means you would be responsible for paying the first $500 in medical bills before receiving coverage. Having a higher deductible usually means you enjoy lower monthly premiums.

Originally posted 2009-07-31 18:33:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter