Sunday, May 1, 2016

May Day Tips For Maximizing And Maintaining Your Health Insurance

By Coleen Elkins    24-7 Health Insurance





The role of your health insurance agent is much more than quoting and enrolling you in your health plan. Once you have chosen the plan that meets your needs your agent now becomes your customer service representative. If your agent’s phone number isn’t in your contacts add it. If you are uncertain about your benefits, your subsidy or your provider network call your agent and ask for help.  If you are our current client please call on us for guidance. We are here to help you maximize your benefits! 

For those of you on under 65 health insurance or Medicare. Do you know where your health insurance policy is? Have your read it? What are your wellness benefits? Wellness benefits are typically based on your age and have a specific time line for certain exams based on your health history or family health history. Use your wellness benefits as they are listed as prevention.  
Please review your policy to understand your out of pocket costs such as deductibles and co-insurance. Know what the pages labeled limitations and exclusions say.

Do you have any supplemental policies to reduce your potential out of pockets ? If you don’t ask us about Wellness Link . Wellness Link provides you Teledoc services (this saves you the cost of an office visit), Advocacy services such as negotiating outstanding medical bills. Dental Discounts with Aetna’s nationwide network. RX Discounts sometimes better than the discount your insurance card provides. Some Wellness Link Plans even provided discounted veterinarian services for your pets including exotic animals. There are more benefits for members than we have listed here. Wellness Link has 4 plans offering rates as low as $14.00 per month per household.   *Note -These plans are available whether you are on Medicare or under age 65 health insurance. 

If you are on under age 65 health insurance . Are you receiving a tax credit aka a premium subsidy? If you are DO NOT ignore notifications from healthcare.gov or your health insurance carrier asking you for additional information. There is a timeline to respond and not responding could cost you your benefits. If you have sent the requested information do not ignore follow requests or assume the information was received . Send all information with a tracking number. If you have set up an account at healthcare.gov and need to make changes be 100 percent certain you understand how to navigate your account. If you don’t and you are our client please call us for assistance. Making a mistake while navigating the account could cause you to lose your tax credit or worse yet your benefits. 

If you are our client please call us before calling healthcare.gov we have access to your information and can make the call with you or provide with guidance before you make the call. 


It appears 2017 is going to be another year of change for health insurance and Medicare. Please put a note on your calendar to contact us prior to 2017 open enrollment.