I think all of us fall into the trap of believing that every product or service can be commoditized and packaged into an easy to understand, easy to purchase widget where price is the only consideration.  The internet has been wonderful in the sense that we can now easily compare prices and read reviews and buy from the comfort of our living room while watching television and taking a phone call.  Unfortunately, we've seen in the last several weeks several instances that have reminded us that easy price searches are not enough and health insurance is not a commodity.  Health insurance shoppers need better tools to examine plan choices and must be able to rely on an expert source to answer specific questions that apply to their situation.  The reality is that our busy lives don't have room for carving out hours to research health plans on our own or determining whether a doctor is in one network or another.  When we do take time to shop for health coverage during this open enrollment period, insurance shoppers want to ensure they get quick responses, comprehensive information, and answers to specific personal questions.

The goal of this article is to help readers determine why they need an expert agent rather than any of the other purchasing options that are available such as buying direct from an insurance company website or call center, the government website, purchasing from one of the big advertising e-health websites, buying from your financial planner, or buying from your local home and auto guy.  All of these options provide some level of information like the online purchase, some service, or convenience, but none of them provide the expert level analysis, tools for comparison, ease of purchase, and world-class service that Texas Health Design provides.  Let's take a moment to quickly review the case studies we've seen in the last two weeks that prove why we are the best choice.  

5)  Never Wait Around For Quotes 

We visited with callers from Dallas this week that lamented that their "guy" who had sold them health insurance last year had told them several days ago that they would send quotes to them to evaluate new plan options.  After waiting and calling several times, the shopper called us.  Typically we can send quotes to you within minutes and our quoting template allows you to examine plans from all of the major health insurance providers in Texas.

4)  Amazing Quote Format For Easy Analysis

Why is it that when you shop for insurance plans you only get a few details and you never can examine all the plans in an easy to compare format?  When you go to one of the online health brokers or the government website you get a few details about the price of the plan and the deductible you'll have, but you need to click on another link for details about the prescription drug coverage and to get a summary of the plan benefits.  If you think you've found an interesting plan you'll need to jot down the specifics so you can compare that information to other options.   Examine the screenshot from www.healthcare.gov which demonstrates how difficult it is to compare details and plans.

Even if you click on our "Get A Quote Now Link", you can run quotes yourself and you'll get exactly the same information we've talked about above.  We feel strongly that the information we provide online is not enough, therefore, we've created quote templates that provide more detailed information in a better format.

In our health insurance plan proposals you get an easy to read layout that allows you to easily compare the major plan benefits and plan prices.  Our enhanced tools allow you to examine all of the significant benefits and quickly determine the plans that might work best for your family.  Last week a new client told us that we had the best proposal format that helped them make great decisions quickly.  Call us at 713-422-2935 or click "Contact Us" to get your easy-to-read quotes today.

3)  Technical Expertise and Lots of Experience

We received a call yesterday from a long time Blue Cross member (had an individual plan since 2007) that felt like getting a second opinion.  The client had heard a lot of advertising about the Affordable Care Act and also had read that Blue Cross was terminating some plans.  They reached out to their home and auto agent and he provided them new health quotes and told them that yes, Blue Cross was terminating plans and they needed to transition to a new Obamacare compliant policy.  After discussing their situation for a few minutes it was obvious that the advice their agent had given was incorrect and would have been extremely costly to their family if they had moved forward with plan change.  The long time policy holder with Blue Cross had a plan that is considered "Grandfathered" and this plan has a low deductible and is an extremely cheap policy compared to the new Affordable Care Act plans.  Because the plan is Grandfathered, this client does not need to change plans and can keep it as long as Blue Cross continues to offer coverage!  The home and auto agent would have cost this client thousands of dollars a year simply because they didn't have the knowledge and experience necessary to help the client understand the value of their existing policy!  The client asked us if we could become their agent and so we'll take steps to perform an agent change so we can provide great service in the future.  The lesson here is that you must get expert help to avoid costly mistakes that could financially harm your family.  Don't settle for a health insurance agent (or financial planner or home an auto provider) that doesn't work in the health insurance area full-time!

2)  Use the Expert Health Agent that Financial Planners, Group Benefit Brokers, and Property Casualty Agents Rely On

Over the last few years we've been approached by stock brokers, financial planners, and home and auto agents that need to find expert advice and guidance for their client's health insurance search.  In the old days (a couple of years ago) anyone could sell health insurance because it was pretty easy to understand and there was very little government regulation.  Now that the Affordable Care Act governs the health insurance industry the entire process has become more complex, more difficult to navigate, and less profitable for agents and planners (commissions have been cut by 50% in the last 3 years).  Smart advisors have discovered that they cannot be an expert in every area and they have searched out Texas Health Design as their partner to address their client's needs.  We now have several group health brokers that refer all of their individual clients to us because the plans change so often and the process for signing clients up is too burdensome.  We even have full-time health agents that refer all of their "Marketplace" clients or people that need help with financial subsidies to our firm because they know that we'll provide great service and expert knowledge!  If financial planners and health agents use Texas Health Design, shouldn't you? 

1)  Incredible Service and Process Knowledge / Working the System

On Sunday, November 30th we received a call from a health insurance shopper that was distraught.  The person was concerned that they were laid off their job and their work provided coverage would terminate that day!  They had looked around on a few websites and found out that they could only buy coverage that started on January 1st.  Desperate, the shopper called the government insurance hotline and was told that they could only buy coverage that began at the beginning of the year.  Fortunately, the caller was referred to us after speaking with one of her friends.  She went to our website and clicked the Contact Us link.  Because our team understands the rules governing the insurance purchasing process and we have an intimate knowledge of the work flow of all of the major insurance carriers we were able to help this client obtain an ACA compliant plan that started December 1st!  In other words, our client didn't lose coverage for one day and was able to ensure that they had the ability to relax knowing they had health insurance over the holiday season.  If she had not made a call to Texas Health Design she could have been without insurance for one month!  When other agents were taking the day off on Sunday and telling the client they had no option for coverage, our team provided great insurance and peace of mind.

The price you pay for health insurance is the same whether you use an agent or if you go directly to the health insurance carrier.  It makes sense to find an unbiased resource that can help you differentiate between insurance companies, health plans, and physician networks.  Texas Health Design offers unmatched guidance and has become our state's resource for information, expertise, analysis, and world-class service.  Successful planners, health agents, and brokers agree that our team can help you make informed choices that serve your family and fit within your budget.  Click Contact Us or call 713-422-2935 to get started today!

Jason Bohmann
713-422-2935
Get a Quote Now!