Our Role
The Role of Health Insurance Plus
Who are our customers?
Health Insurance Plus works for you - the consumers; We are not an employee
of the insurance companies! We work for you to find the best plan at the best price.
Additionally, our services are free to you. You pay the exact same price weather
you purchase direct from one of the insurance companies, or from HealthInsurancePlus.com.
The customers of Health Insurance Plus are employer groups and individual consumers.
Health Insurance Plus depends on employer groups and individual consumers for our
livelihood. The services that we offer to our customers must constantly show our
value to our customers, by providing ongoing service and benefit expertise.
We often support the human resources department for small employers. Quite often,
small employers cannot afford human resources staffing. In fact, the owner often
wears multiple hats, and must take on the responsibility of employee benefit matters.
Small employers rely Health Insurance Plus to assist them in a multitude of ways
in the day-to-day handling of their health insurance and other personnel matters.
Health Insurance Plus helps fills that gap; as advisor, advocate and consumer confidant.
How can we help you, our customer?
At Health Insurance Plus, we make complex benefit and legislatitive issues understandable
to the employer and consumer. Often, complex laws are passed by the state and federal
governments that affect employee benefits, such as COBRA, FMLA, HIPPA, AB-1672,
and many others. At Health Insurance Plus, we take the time to understand these
laws, and find ways of explaining them to our clients, so that the feel fully informed
and can understand them. There are over 5,000 plan options available to small employers.
Agents guide their clienst through the myriad of options, to the plan that best
fits their client' needs.
Health Insurance Plus is in the business of solving employer and consumer problems.
Typically, Health Insurance Plus is the first to be called when a client's claim
is not paid or when premiums are raised. Because of our expertise, experience, and
relationship with our customers and health insurance carriers we ofte get prblems
solved quickly and efficiently. At Health Insurance Plus we have dedicated customer
service representitives in our office for the specific puropse of assisting clients
with their benefit problems.
Who pays Health Insurance Plus?
Health Insurance Plus is paid a commission for the purpose of servicing and selling
employer groups and consumers. An employer can replace their agent at any time,
so it is in our best interest to provide our clients with the best service possible.
Most insurance companies or HMO's pay Health Insurance Plus a commission for not
only selling a group, but for taking over much of the ongoing service of that group.
There is a true value to that service that the insurance companies, and employer
groups recognize.
What does a health insurance agent, like Health Insurance Plus, do?
Health insurance agents represent over 110 million Americans. Most insured individuals
in this country receive their health insurance from an employer group represented
by insurance agents. Many individuals often consult agents before purchasing coverage.
Just as doctors guide consumers through medical decisions, lawyer through legal
problems, and accountants through tax situations, health insurance agents guide
consumers through the complex terrain of health coverage and other personal matters.
Good health insurance agents explain the details of benefits and coverages offered
by policies and support their cleint's interests when dealing with insurers.
It figures, then, that the first task of Health Insurance Plus is to discover what
you need.
Determine your health care needs and budget
In the small group context, this usually means determining what coverages the employer
would like to provide employees and what price the employer is willing to pay for
those benefits. Including in this analysis is employer/employee cost-sharing, use
of cafeteria plans and other savings alternatives.
You can also expect your agent to solve problems and find solutions to your concerns,
even when they involve issues that are unrelated to the product they sold you.
Find the best health care plan based on your needs and budget
The more thoroughy your agent evaluates your needs, the more precise this professional
will be in assisting your evaluation of the products and services available. Using
information specific to your situation, the agent can gauge which insurers will
most likely offer appropriate coverage. Usually, there will be several.
To effectvely present these options, your agent must have a thorough understanding
of the terms used in the policy and theri ramifications to you, the healthcare comsumer.
The presentation programs should include an explanation of the strengths, weaknesses
and distinctive features offered by each plan presented.
Help you with claims and other policy processes
Claims and other administrative processes of each plan should also be explained.
Are claim forms required? Is permission needed for inpatient or outpatient hospitalization,
or outpatient procedures? Must you see a Primary Care Provider before seeing a specialist,
and do you need a referral? Is your drug plan limited to a specific list of formulary
drugs or may you purchase any type of drug you physician prescribes? Can yuo cahnge
your doctor if and when you want to? What are your benefit coverages and exclusions?
Once a policy or plan is selected, the agent will coordinate the complex process
of changing your benefits package. Your health insurance agent is well versed in
plan installation and enrollment procedures, which lessens the burden of the employer
or consumer.
We are here for you!
The role of the conscientious agent does not end with the delivery of the policy
or completion of the sale. A professional agent offers ongoing service for a variety
of topics to the consumer throughout the year, every year.