In November 2020, COVID cases were on the rise and unemployment had reached record numbers. Facing all these issues and more, the Biden Administration made a decision to extend open enrollment for policies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. That extension lasted through August 15, 2021.
It was a significant change, as ACA open enrollment typically occurs only in November and December.
Millions of people entered into an Affordable Care Act health insurance policy during the enrollment window. Many needed to offset a lapse in health insurance after losing a job. Others wanted to find insurance coverage providing equal protection for them after developing a pre-existing condition.
With open enrollment at an end, however, some people are right back where they started.
An announcement has been made that the 2021-2022 enrollment period will last for 75 days rather than 45 days. That means it will run from November 1 to January 15, which may be a relief to many. But the ACA option is not available if you’re looking for health insurance right now.
With vaccination numbers flagging and the timeline for the end of the pandemic unclear, more people in Central Florida are concerned about having health insurance to see them through the coming year. Some of these Floridians need gap coverage for 2020, the sooner the better.
If you’re struggling to find health insurance, a local health insurance broker can help.
A Local Health Insurance Broker Is Your #1 Ally In Finding The Best Health Insurance
When it comes to health insurance, many people assume they are on their own.
Outside of ACA open enrollment, they may even believe that they can’t buy health insurance.
The misconceptions are understandable. Health insurance can look like an arcane topic. Floridians with stable health insurance from an employer often don’t need to think much about it. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and there are many questions and not enough answers.
A local health insurance broker is here to answer those questions for you.
Your local health insurance broker is an independent health insurance professional. Working within a defined geography, he or she coordinates with all the different organizations that offer health insurance plans. This goes beyond insurance agencies and employers to many other groups.
For example, labor unions, credit unions, and many others have insurance plans.
However, since they are not advertised to the general public, it’s rarely obvious when someone might be able to get health insurance through these and other affiliations. With this in mind, the local health insurance broker steps in to get the facts and lay all the information in front of you.
With that done, he or she can guide you through the options and help you get started.
Often, it all gets done within just a few days.
If You’ve Never Used A Local Health Insurance Broker Before, Now Is The Time
Many people in Central Florida and throughout the state don’t know about health insurance brokers.
They find out about the topic the same way you probably did – by searching online.
For many, it’s a relief to know they don’t have to work through all the details of personal health insurance in Florida on their own. But they wonder: What’s the catch?
It’s reasonable to ask. After all, there’s not much in today’s health insurance landscape that looks like it was made for the benefit of ordinary customers. That’s exactly what we were thinking when we formed Choice Health Insurance Brokers. We’re stepping in to help where no one else will.
Here are three things to know about working with your local health insurance broker:
1. A Local Health Insurance Broker Is Not Beholden To Any Health Insurance Company
First and foremost, a DeLand health insurance broker is very different from an insurance agent.
An insurance agent works exclusively for a single insurance company. Yes, agents may have detailed information about how every policy product works – but that’s because selling policies is their only job.
No matter which company you call, you can’t expect an insurance agent to give you all the facts. They don’t know what other companies or groups offer. They also can’t refer you outside of the company.
As health insurance brokers, we can work with insurance agencies – but we also compare them side by side when talking to clients like you. Some insurance firms don’t like this, and they won’t make any agreements with insurance brokers. But that’s okay. We prefer honesty and transparency.
Since we have partnerships with dozens of organizations throughout Central Florida, there’s no need to worry about what one insurer thinks of us. This brings us to the second most important point.
2. A Local Health Insurance Broker Does Not Make Decisions Based On A Sales Quota
With an insurance agent, the only goal is to keep you on the line and make a sale.
Insurance brokers don’t work that way. When we meet you, we don’t know anything about you – it would be odd if we immediately recommended a policy. Instead, brokers need to take time to learn about you, your needs, and your expectations. Then we tailor the experience to you.
Every case is different, of course. But the number of personal insurance options in Central Florida is on the rise. More organizations are offering health insurance plans outside of the mainstream insurance industry. State and federal programs are changing in ways that can positively impact many consumers.
Sometimes, a conversation with Choice Health Insurance Brokers ends with no policy agreement. That’s not because clients don’t get the information they need, but because they hear the facts and decide it’s time to apply to a state or federal program. If this is the best option for you, we will help you do it.
3. A Local Health Insurance Broker Is A Long-Term Ally For All Your Future Insurance Needs
A lot about health insurance is transactional – even your relationship with your doctor.
After all, if your network changes, you may lose the rapport that you had been counting on.
At Choice Health Insurance Brokers, we have a different vision.
Because we provide expertise for health insurance decisions throughout your life, we will always be there. As long as you’re living in a Central Florida community, you’ll have access to the experience and insight that can help you save money while finding the right health insurance for you.
We pride ourselves on helping clients make the most informed decisions, not the most profitable ones. Knowing that, we sometimes go months or even years without seeing our satisfied customers. That means all their needs are met. But we are always ready and waiting for your next visit.
In a world full of so much uncertainty, a good health insurance broker is someone you can count on.
It’s time for you to see the difference the human touch can make for health insurance in Central Florida.
Contact us today to start learning about your options.