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How to Choose a Carrier.
Health Care Reform has leveled the playing field as far as coverage benefits and eligibility goes. Plans are standardized and fall into four distinct benefit levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) and must be actuarially equivalent. Pre- existing conditions no...
Next Open Enrollment Period Uncorked…
In addition to sizing up a turkey or sniffing a yam, you might add squeezing a health plan or two into your Thanksgiving shopping list. This year’s open enrollment period was moved from October 15 - December 7 to November 15 - February 15, 2015, and if you want to...
Employers & Employees Beware.
Popular among small employers was an arrangement by which they would pay the employee’s individual insurance plan premiums on a pre-tax basis. Market reforms within our new healthcare law now prohibit this. Starting January 1, 2014, employers who reimburse or pay...
Short Term Insurance still has a place.
Our new health care reform law has made it possible now for virtually anyone to obtain health insurance. Those with a pre-existing condition(s) cannot be denied insurance, charged a higher premium or have coverage restricted in any way. This is a huge step forward in...
Special Open Enrollment Period (limited to certain life change events).
With open enrollment now over, obtaining individual or family health insurance before the next open enrollment (currently scheduled for October 15 – December 7, 2014) is only possible with certain “life change” events. Some of these events must result in a loss of...
Tax day is also the last day to enroll in coverage.
It appears no more delays or postponements are in the works. April 15 is the last day to enroll in a plan for individuals and families. In the private marketplace (not CoveredCA) several carriers (Anthem Blue Cross, HealthNet, and Blue Shield) have kept their doors...
Sign-up for health coverage. It’s not too late.
The Open Enrollment period was over March 31. But wait! Thanks to technical difficulties, a postponement to April 15 has been allowed for new enrollees. Covered CA (the public marketplace where subsidies are possible) will allow enrollment to April 15 as long as...
ACA open enrollment ends on Monday, March 31.
When the initial open enrollment period winds up at the end of March, the opportunity to purchase an ACA-compliant plan will close until the next open enrollment, which runs from October 15 through December 7th, 2014, for an effective date of January 1, 2015. In the...
Out of state…read the fine print!
For decades the "Blues" (Blue Shield and Blue Cross) provided access to their nationwide provider network so you could stay in-network when out of state. That was huge for families with sons or daughters in out-of-state colleges and a real advantage over HMO's and...
Health Care Reform. A State of Change.
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know we’ve been gearing up for the important changes to our health care system. We’ve spent months preparing and planning for the most significant changes since the introduction of Medicare in 1966. The key word here is...
Testimonials
“Wow! Talk about fast and easy! Made an appointment with Phil through his website; he called me at the exact time of our appointment, was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. He explained the coverage to me and from start to the finish of receiving an email with my policy info…. 20 minutes!!! I may just travel abroad more often now! Thanks Phil!
“I’d like to give Phil more than 5 stars for his incredible customer service and knowledge. Because he was on the ball and watching out for me (unasked), he saved me from going into a health plan that was not right for me. He called me out of the blue to confirm that the changes I made to my healthcare plan were what I wanted. I had misunderstood the differences (no thanks to Blue Shield rep) and Phil saved the day. Thank goodness he is my broker. He should be yours too.
“I was searching for weeks for affordable health care and Phil Dougherty and his team got me covered right away! My family was considered high risk and he took care of us from beginning to end. He was always available by phone to talk and did all the paperwork for us. He was a godsend during the many changes happening in healthcare! I highly recommend Phil for helping you find the best health care for you and your family. “