 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
|
What point are you at in YOUR life? Every individual and family has different needs. Some have a house full of children, others don't. Some people travel quite a bit, others stay close to home. There are an infinite number of situations and you need to evaluate yours if you are to make a decision that is proper for you. You should also consider your lifestyle while shopping for health plans. Please also consider your personal medical history as well as that of your family, including any hereditary issues. Please ask yourself the following questions: What am I hoping to achieve with my health plan? How do I plan to use my coverage? How long do I need this plan? How much am I willing to cover myself? Are there conditions in my family history that I NEED to be covered for? These are but a few of the areas that will be discussed during your plan design.
Where do you spend your time? If you are like most of us the answer is at work. We do design plans that cover you on the job. But the question goes deeper than that.
Do you travel? Do you spend periods of the year is another part of the country? Are you spending time in outdoor activities or sports? What can you afford? Well the question had to be asked sometime! Designing a plan that you can't afford will not do anyone any good. On the other hand hiding behind the fear of a large monthly payment is not the answer either. For a confidential interview with Bob Howell, please Click Here and submit your request form.
Does your plan cover you on and off the job? Many health insurance plans have specific exclusions that eliminate your benefits for anything that could have been covered under Workers Compensation or similar laws. Now read that last sentence again.
COULD HAVE BEEN COVERED!?
That is correct. Most self employed people and even some small business owners do not carry Workers Comp on themselves. They could, we all could...if we had an extra arm and leg to pay for that too.
The reality is that most self employed people DO NOT carry Workers Comp and most plans won't pay for medical expenses incurred on the job.
Howell Health & Life Insurance can design plans that will cover you on and off the job.
Are you writing it off? Independent contractors (1099's), home based business owners, professionals and other self employed people generally are not taking advantages of the tax laws available to them.
Many people whom are paying 100% of their own costs are eligible to write off their monthly insurance payments. Just that alone can reduce your net out of pocket costs of a proper plan by as much as 40%. Ask your accounting professional if you are eligible and/or check out our "News and Links" pages for IRS links.
You have the ability to shop! If you are reading this you are probably shopping for a health plan. Everyday people shop, for everything from groceries to a new home.
During the shopping process, generally, the value, price, personal needs and general marketplace gets evaluated by the buyer. With this in mind, it is very disconcerting that most people never ask what a test, procedure or even doctor visit will cost.
In this ever changing health insurance market it will become increasingly important for these questions to be asked of our medical professionals. Asking price will help you get the most out of your plan and reduce your out of pocket expenses.
For example, many of our carriers work with an organization called "LabOne", "LabOne" is an extra feature that in many cases can save you considerable out of pocket costs if you use them. At "LabOne" your insurance company has negotiated additional discounts with a
national laboratory that can collect and process tests at a fraction of even the network negotiated prices.
Please refer to the Medical Networks section on the left, click on 'LabOne' and see what they can do for you. Networks and Discounts All insurance plans and benefit programs work with networks and discounts.
In broad strokes, networks consist of medical professionals and facilities who agree, by contract, to charge discounted rates for services rendered.
In many cases the network is one of the defining attributes of your program. Discounts can vary from 10% to 60% or more. Generally, each medical professional and facility has a unique contract with the network; therefore there are wide variances in the
discounts that are given. The only way to really find out the pricing structure for a hospital or doctor is to ask their respective billing department. When shopping for a plan it is imperative that you preview the network's membership before committing.
This is not only to ensure that your local doctors and hospitals are in the network but also to see what your options would be if you were to need a specialist. Why Design A Plan? If you have haven't reviewed the previous two sections, "Determine your needs" and "Facts to consider now", please do so now. Plan Design with the Milz Insurance Group gives you the ability to personally choose many of the features
of your health insurance plan. By doing so you we can create a plan that fits your own individual needs and situation. Individual Plan Design makes Financial Sense! Control your Costs
By designing a plan instead of picking one from a list, you will control your costs by choosing the right deductibles and options for you. Every facet of every plan, even the "one size fits all",
has a cost associated with each component of coverage. With a "one size fits all" style of plan it is priced as the sum of it's parts. When we design your plan you will know what each facet of your plan costs and
determine for yourself if the cost is worth the coverage for your situation. Individual Plan Design will empower you to control your monthly payments more than any other program on the market today. Control your Risk
If you happen to be in a position where you are comfortable covering some routine expenses yourself we can design a plan that is more catastrophic in nature.
If you would like many routine costs covered, we can do that too. With Howell Health & Life Insurance Plan Design, you are empowered to determine, to a great extent, what you will pay for and what the insurance plan will pay for. For example if you are a healthy individual and want to raise your deductible in order to lower costs, but still want first dollar coverage for accidents and injuries...It can be done.
Designing a plan puts you in charge of deductibles, co-pay options, prescription coverage and even out of pocket maximums.
Know Your Options Howell Health & Life Insurance can show you your options. Let's face it, not everyone is in perfect health. Individual consultation during plan design uses "Field Underwriting" to show you what your options are regardless of health status. If your condition is relatively minor we can include what is commonly referred to as a "Rate Up". "Rate-up's" are basically additional costs per month that the insurance company will charge to cover some pre existing conditions. Including "Rate-Up's" in your plan design can get you covered in many cases. In other cases a "Rider" may be available. A "Rider" is the elimination of a pre existing condition from coverage and can help a lot of people get their application approved. Please note that "Rate Up's" and "Rider's" are not available for all conditions or in all states either. Your plan designer will help you through the process. Field Underwriting is the Key Field Underwriting is the process during which at plan design, your designer will review your medical history with you. We will look at any conditions that you have and discuss which options are available to handle those conditions. Field Underwriting will ensure:
The bottom line is this: If we can help you design a plan that fits your needs and budget, we will. If you have conditions that that preclude you from major medical coverage we will help you find valuable benefit options to minimize your financial risk.
Either way, after your program is in place we will continue to support you with a direct contact to your designer/agent who will assist you in getting the most out of your program.
For a confidential interview with Bob Howell, please Click Here and submit your request form. |
1712 Coyote Ridge
Carrollton, TX 75010
Phone: (866)-875-7775
Fax: (866)-875-7775
Designed by BK Web Designs
Copyright © 2004. Howell Health & Life Insurance.
All rights reserved.