No True Texan loves talking about insurance. But they especially don't want to talk about their health insurance, unless they are going to tell you that their health insurance stinks. If you find yourself faced withe the dilemma of should I stay or should I go now on your current health insurance policy, the process of finding a new agent can be scary. You never know what is going to be on the other end of that line. So we've put together a set of questions to ask your health insurance agent to know if you want to do business with them.
The Five Most Important Questions To Ask Your Health Insurance Agent!
1. Do you only represent one company or are you independent?
A single company will be providing your plan, but if you are only presented with one option how can you be sure that you have the best plan offered? An independent insurance agent will have access to many companies and plans to make sure that you are receiving the best plan possible at the right price. Because of this, they can act as a true fiduciary on your behalf. Which can make all the difference in the world.
2. What type of plans do you offer?
The Affordable Care Act changed everything almost a decade ago, and the subsequent legal battles have made the types of plan available come and go a bit. The agent should be able to tell you whether or not you have an HMO, PPO, or No Network at all. Along with this, they should be able to explain exactly what this means when you are seeking care and how to access it. If they can't, run!
3. Is my current physician on the plans you offer?
Most people have a doctor in their life that they just can't live without. It may be a primary care doc or a specialist, but they are just important to you. Because of this, it's always very important to perform a network check to make sure that you can continue that relationship. As a result, sometimes it's more important to choose a plan that doesn't even mess with networks to give you a piece of mind when needing that physician.
4. What are my deductible, co-pays, and co-insurance options?
When evaluating health insurance policies, most people focus on the monthly premium. While that premium is important, only focusing there is small portion of your potential health care expenses throughout a year. You need to understand if you will be expected to pay cash for visits, co-pays, or satisfy a deductible. And if there is a co-insurance portion that will need to be paid and substantially drive costs up.
5. Are you plans fully underwritten with respect to pre-existing conditions?
Now that Affordable Care Act Exchange plans cannot exclude people with pre-existing conditions, the expectation that all health insurance plans available cannot exclude people for those conditions. This can create a very disappointing situation if you have long term chronic conditions especially. To avoid the disappointment, make sure that your agent can provide this information quickly.
What Comes Next?
After you get acceptable questions, it comes down to evaluating the plans that are available to you. This is a complex process that we've tried to simply using a series of seven questions to consider when buying health insurance in Texas. These questions will let you compare the plans and how they will affect both your care and your pocket book.
If you aren't sure where to turn, the agents at Insurance For Texans can help you determine the best plan for you and your family. Just click the blue button below to get started with us today.
