1000 Lake Avenue Ashtabula, OH 44004

(440) 964-8211
gia@giangolainsurance.com
Schedule an Appointment

Blog

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

When you approach your 65th birthday you will have no shortage of questions on Medicare. There will also be countless organizations offering information on the products they sell. It can become overwhelming with the amount of materials...

Sunday, November 12, 2017

It's that fantastic time of year again, you know, the time you get to pay more for the same thing you already have. If it feels like you're the only one, don't worry it's happening to everyone. There's plenty of reasons for this, but...

Monday, September 25, 2017

Now that you're rounding the final turn to cross the Medicare finish line, you're realizing this is the first time you've had to deal with your health insurance on your own. Don't worry it's not going to be that bad. It feels a little...

Friday, August 18, 2017

Finally, it's time to actually get serious about picking the right Medicare Supplement plan. Your mailbox and phone have probably been getting abused by people who are to excited about telling you you're getting old. Trying to sort...

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

You're probably knee deep in the process to make sense of all the different Medicare supplement plans available in Ohio. You've been counting down to this moment for a couple years and now that it's finally hear, the panic might start...

Show All

Monday, June 19, 2017

Let's be honest, health insurance or no health insurance, it's not cheap to go to the doctors office. You're often faced with a difficult decision when you get sick. Do you spend your last $120 on a visit to your doctor or do you buy...

Monday, May 15, 2017

You might not believe me if I told you the number of people who are more worried about insurance for their teeth than the rest of their body. Even more surprising, those people who want to make sure their teeth are always taken care of...

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Your yearly health insurance search is one you probably approach with anxiety, fear and a pinch of anger mixed in for good measure. Figuring out what the "best" plan is can feel like trying to hold water in a pasta strainer. Just when...

Friday, October 28, 2016

If you're not completely sure what you bought, there's a good chance it isn't real health insurance. I've been selling health insurance for seven years, which has covered pre and post Obamacare policies. The one thing that has remained...

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

If you're not completely sure what you bought, there's a good chance it isn't real health insurance. I've been selling health insurance for seven years, which has covered pre and post Obamacare policies. The one thing that has remained...

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

First, let's get one thing straight, these cancellations or discontinuances only apply to individual health insurance policies in certain counties in Ohio. You might have recently received a letter in the mail from Medical Mutual...

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

I hate buying cars. So much so I managed to delay buying my first car (at the age of 32) until a little less than a year and half ago. Now, I've bought two new cars in the last 14 months. Here's what I've learned during that time that...

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

You think you're ready to give this video call with a doctor thing a try. But the problem you've run into now is that you're not sure which service is right for you. The good news is, outside of the diagnosis you might receive, there's...

Friday, June 10, 2016

So you're trying to decide if you want to give this new telemedicine thing a try? But before you can do that you want to know the good the bad and the ugly about how it works. That's probably a smart idea. I've spent the last three...

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

You think you're ready to give this video call with a doctor thing a try. But the problem you've run into now is that you're not sure which company is right for you. The good news is, outside of the diagnosis you might receive, there's...

Friday, May 27, 2016

It's becoming harder and harder to find a health insurance policy that is affordable and offers unlimited copays for you and your family to see the doctor. While I'm of the opinion that should be pretty far down on your list of...

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

You do everything else on the internet, why not start seeing your doctor that way? First, let’s get the boring (see fancy) definition out of the way. The American Telemedicine Association defines telemedicine as the use of...

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

You're trying to make sense of all the different health insurance companies that are available to you when buying health insurance in Ohio. But trying to figure out the difference is trickier than watching a magic trick without your...

Thursday, December 10, 2015

You're probably getting close to picking a health insurance plan, but you just want to make sure you know everything you can about it first. That's smart. Being an independent insurance agent, clients ask me all the time to tell them...

Monday, November 30, 2015

Making that final choice between health insurance plans is never easy. There's always that thought in the back of your head that's telling you, "maybe I'm missing something?" or "What don't I know about this plan?" Don't worry, it's...

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

You're trying to decide what health insurance company is right for you. In doing that you've discovered that means you have to know which doctor and hospital network is right for you. Since the start of open enrollment for 2016 on...

Sunday, October 25, 2015

When you're buying something important you want to make sure you're getting the best that you can afford. Right now you might be having a hard time finding someone who can tell you what the best is for your health insurance. Don't...

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

You might be starting to go a little cross-eyed after looking at so many different health insurance plans. During your extensive search you might have noticed these three letters that keep showing up next to "Plan Type." PPO and HMO...

Thursday, September 17, 2015

When the leaves start falling and the days start to get shorter, you might think it's time for football, Halloween or apple picking. But for the last couple years this time has been dominated by something else. Signing up for health...

Thursday, August 27, 2015

This article is a continuation of an ongoing series that compares Ohio's top insurance companies. The goal is to look at the strengths and weakness of each company and how they compare to one another. Every year at Giangola Insurance,...

Thursday, July 30, 2015

This is a bit of a trick question. There is no such thing as a life insurance policy for your family. Your family doesn't need life insurance, you need life insurance because you have a family. A life insurance policy is only sold...

Friday, July 24, 2015

Supplemental health insurance couldn't have a more descriptive, yet confusing name if it tried. It feels like you should know what this type of insurance does or is suppose to do, but at the same time hearing the word supplement or...

Friday, July 17, 2015

As a parent you would do anything for your children and I'm sure they've tested your definition of anything over the years. It started out as simple as making sure they ate, slept, were clean and had cloths on (that last one may have...

Friday, July 10, 2015

Making that final choice between health insurance plans is never easy. There's always that thought in the back of your head that's telling you, "maybe I'm missing something?" or "What don't I know about this plan?" Don't worry, it's...

Friday, June 19, 2015

You're knee deep in this health insurance stuff and you're getting close to narrowing down what plan might be right for you and your family. You want to know more about this gold plan from Aetna and this $5 copay thing sounds...

Monday, June 15, 2015

So you've been researching health insurance plans in Ohio for what feels like three and half life times, even though it's probably only been a couple weeks. Your search has led you to this plan from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and...

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

If there's one thing in life we didn't need more of, it's another form to file come tax time. But, that's exactly what we got as a result of “Obamacare” or it's given name, The Affordable Care Act. The 1095 form is...

Friday, December 19, 2014

Time flies when you're getting a deal on your health insurance. The first year of "Obamacare" is pretty much in the books and that means you get to do the whole thing over again. Alright, hold on, maybe not the whole thing. NOTE:...

Thursday, December 11, 2014

If you bought health insurance last year and were eligible for a subsidy, chances are you were pretty happy. If not, you are probably holding on to your pre Obamacare health insurance plan for dear life. As we barrel down hill, full...

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Well… We made it. Year two of “Obamacare” is upon us and open enrollment season is in full swing. You are either trying to renew the policy you bought last year, or you've found yourself in need of your own health...

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The first piece of good news to come out of this upcoming enrollment season is about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield wising up and realizing one of the mistakes they made with their network last year. Notice I said one, yes that...

Friday, November 14, 2014

This is the first in a series of posts that will compare all of Ohio's top insurance companies side-by-side to take a look at the strengths and weakness of each company and how they compare to one another. There's no better place to...

Monday, October 6, 2014

Today I show up in front of you with my hat in hand, I have to go back on something I’ve been telling you for as long as I’ve been in the business. You see, I’ve always told you that it doesn’t matter who, where...

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Before we go anywhere, the first thing I need to say is, I don't know. It's impossible to predict what the courts will do with the latest legal/political squabble over the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). What I can say is that you are...

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

You've probably heard about getting "grandfathered" into an old or current deal that will no longer be offered, but have you ever been grandmothered into something? First, a quick note on grandma's, why isn't it called grandmothering...

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

So you just officially signed on the dotted line and bought yourself your first house. Congratulations, you’ve just taken on the biggest amount of debt you will probably ever have in your life. Sounds like a good time to pop open...

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

…on Your Ohio Health Insurance Plan? This question alone is a decent amount of proof that assigning medals to health insurance plans doesn't make it easier to understand.The short answer to this question, not really. Someone,...

Monday, June 2, 2014

This is basic health insurance 101, the deductible and copay are two of the first benefits you will use on your health insurance. The deductible is the amount of money you are going to pay first before your policy “kicks...

Thursday, May 29, 2014

You might have noticed every time I open my mouth, or in this case, put my fingers on a keyboard, I’m telling you something you don’t want to hear or think about. That is unfortunately the life of an insurance agent,...

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Let's get one thing straight first, if you're not working with someone who is automatically doing this for you every year, that's your first mistake. But we will get into that more in a little bit. Shopping your auto, and home...

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

So you are starting to get your ducks in a row to apply for health insurance through Ohio’s health insurance marketplace? That’s good to hear, you know what they say about being prepared. During this preparation you...

Friday, May 23, 2014

(If You're in an Accident)?

Thursday, May 22, 2014

So a flight of stairs has turned into a Mount Everest like quest for you, your knee(s) aren’t what they used to be when frolicking and fast movement were routine. If it’s time to go under the knife, you might want to know...

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

I’m going to have to eat my words on this question a little bit. If you’ve spent anytime around here, you have probably heard me say that the main reason you buy life insurance is to “protect your loved ones from your...

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

This is going to sound a little silly, but the answer to this question is probably sitting in your pocket right now. Making sure all of your stuff is properly protected and accounted for is something I bet you’ve never thought...

Monday, May 19, 2014

So you’re thinking about offering your employees health insurance, but you want to know what you’re getting yourself into first. That’s pretty smart. The savvy business owner in you is taking charge. The simple, no...

Friday, May 16, 2014

Here’s the thing, home insurance is harder to get these days, not just in Ohio, but around the country. This is happening as a result of two things, a lot more crazy weather and (you’re not going to like this) insurance...

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Much like life insurance itself, waiver of premium is one of those things you never want to think you will need. Because of that, you might find yourself tempted to pass up a relatively affordable add on that could potentially save you...

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

There’s a good chance you found yourself asking for “full coverage” at one time or another when talking to an insurance agent about your auto insurance. Guess what, there’s actually no such thing. I guess you...

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

…and How Much Would it Cost?

Monday, May 12, 2014

If you’ve recently been to the doctor, had any kind of testing done or really found yourself anywhere near a hospital, there's a good chance an explanation of benefits statement made it’s way into your mailbox. But what is...

Friday, May 9, 2014

Don’t worry, this is a safe place, you can admit to such things here. The deductible is simply the money you have to pay first. It’s important to remember, you only have to pay this money if you have a claim. A claim is...

Thursday, May 8, 2014

First, what is long-term care? When you receive long-term care it generally covers a wide range of services, but really ends up falling into two categories. Those are, skilled care and personal care. You will receive skilled care when...

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Let me ask you a question. Would you like extra liability coverage over all of your personal assets, beyond your homeowners and auto insurance policies liability limits? If the answer is yes, then you probably need an umbrella policy....

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Is it term, whole or universal life insurance? Well, this is a little bit of trick question, the real answer is, whatever policy you have when you finally kick the bucket. You see, the ultimate goal of life insurance, regardless of the...

Monday, May 5, 2014

Coinsurance is simply a fancy way of saying splitting the bill. Health insurance plans come in a variety of different coinsurance options, however the most common ones you'll find include 70/30, 80/20 and in some cases 90/10. Those...

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

If you missed the open enrollment period or will find yourself without health insurance at some point this year, these two words will be your new best friend, "special enrollment." These special enrollment periods are triggered by...

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

This is a pretty dangerous question to ask. Why? Well, I could ask 100 people if they thought their health insurance was “unaffordable” or too expensive and 99 would say yes. I was going to say 100 but I'm feeling...

Thursday, February 20, 2014

As I continue to receive phone after phone call and email after email from people who have wasted hours, even days of their life trying to get signed up through healthcare.gov. I thought I should share with you my experience signing up...

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Continuing our in-depth look at some of the new health insurance plans that were created this year as a result of the Affordable Care Act, we're going to take a look at one of my favorite plans today, the MedMutual Market HSA 2000 Gold...

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

I thought I would try something different for a couple weeks and go in-depth on a series of new health insurance plans offered inside and out of Ohio's Health Insurance Marketplace, or through Obamacare. We are going to kick things off...

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

To be honest, I didn’t expect to hear it with such regularity and, to a point, skepticism about these new, sometimes heavily, subsidized health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Remember Obamacare is the...

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

After signing up more than 100 people during that three week stretch I wanted to put together a list that features the most important things you need to know that aren't common knowledge. 1. Get it Paid Since healthcare.gov has yet to...

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

While I've spent the last 17 days with my face buried in healthcare.gov - helping people sign up for health insurance using Ohio's Health Insurance Marketplace - there's so much I want to tell you from my travels, but today I want to...

Thursday, December 5, 2013

After a two month stint in website rehab, it appears healthcare.gov has stepped out clean and sober and ready to handle your information. Now that you can complete the process from start to finish without wasting half your life, I...

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A few weeks ago I broke down the best health insurance plans you can buy from Ohio's new marketplace. This time we are going to take a look at the best plans you can buy outside of the marketplace. If you are getting a tax credit or...

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The launch of the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" has made one thing very clear. No, not the government's giant underestimation of setting up a functioning website, it has allowed you the opportunity to know if you bought your...

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Now that you have had a little time to warm up to this new health insurance marketplace, it's about time we find out what plans you should give the time of day. With every major health insurance company in Ohio rolling out a completely...

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Before we go any further, no this isn't a list of 6,350 complaints about the new Affordable Care Act compliant health insurance plans. It is however the sum of one major reason these new plans took a step in the wrong direction. That...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

You may have remembered a few months back I told you why the mandate is actually cheaper than buying health insurance, but not smarter. That still holds true regardless of when they decide to enforce it. Actually, according to The...

Friday, October 25, 2013

For all the speculation and gnashing of teeth that has occurred, I can finally provide you with cold hard facts to back up some of my earlier predictions. It's just you and me today as I present this side-by-side rate comparison and...

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

After a while I started to notice a pattern of three rather large pieces of information most people were getting wrong. Now, I have paid more attention to the whole "Obamacare" thing than most people. However, I was a little surprised...

Friday, October 18, 2013

On this week's hangout I wanted to assemble a panel of guest that could represent the full spectrum of this system and help identify ways we can do better. I was joined by Ashtabula County Medical Center's VP of Medical Operations Dr....

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Along with all the new rules and regulations comes a host of new health insurance plans from every insurance company in Ohio. Among these plans you will find significantly higher deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. In order to help...

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I've had quite a few emails and phone calls about what's going on with the marketplace and I've had to tell everyone the same sad story, "no I don't have healthcare.gov superpowers, I'm just as in the dark as you right now." As much as...

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

(The Biggest Obamacare Side Effect in Ohio) A couple weeks ago I attended a mandatory, in person training for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield at their office in Youngstown, Ohio. The purpose of this training was to teach their...

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

It might seem obvious, but understanding how the person who helps you buy health insurance gets paid is something you’re probably not all that knowledgeable on. It could also be preventing you from considering all your options...

Monday, July 22, 2013

While the actual law itself is a couple thousand pages long, and has plenty of guidelines and stipulations. It all comes down to these marketplaces and how they will provide you with a completely new(ish) way to buy health insurance in...

Monday, July 8, 2013

Their point, that Ohio has taken a page from California's playbook and pulled numbers out of the air that don't necessarily mean a whole lot to you. Trudy Lieberman a writer for the Columbia Journalism Review said, "The [Ohio]...

Friday, July 5, 2013

The primary reason for the delay, at least according to Treasury official Mark Mazur, was to “allow ways to simplify the new reporting requirements consistent with the law.” It is also supposed to allow “time to adapt...

Thursday, July 4, 2013

On this week's hangout we pull out all the stops teaching you how to make better food choices by simply reading a food label. If you're tired of counting calories, watching the scale ignore you and generally feeling sluggish. Read the...

Monday, July 1, 2013

The big show that I'm talking about is the grand opening of Ohio's health insurance marketplace and it's government subsidized health insurance. However, if your income prevents you from taking part you could find yourself in a sticky...

Friday, June 28, 2013

Well, how do you do that? That's what this month's Small Business Corner is all about. We are going to help you understand how and why good writing effects a TON of your daily business activities and functions. I recruited a few...

Monday, June 24, 2013

I was reading an article from the Washington post this morning and it informed me that “The White House has made a conscious decision to hold off on public outreach and education [for the upcoming Marketplaces] until right before...

Friday, June 21, 2013

Your methodically crafted excuses designed to disarm any form of ambition, foreign or domestic, related to your physical activity do not stand a chance against real life "working stiff" and fitness nut Brent Kelly. I wanted to talk...

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Last week we were “treated” to a taste of what health insurance rates will look like inside the marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. Today, I received an early report of a possible list of companies that plan on...

Friday, June 14, 2013

On this week's Health. Care. Insurance. Hangout I was joined by Katherine Woodfield, author of "Don't Buy That Health Insurance: Become an Educated Health Care Consumer," to discuss why it's so important to have as much information as...

Monday, June 10, 2013

Without getting too messy in all the numbers, health insurance costs are going up, way up. Ohio officials have said health insurance rates will increase “significantly” under the Affordable Care Act. With the average...

Sunday, June 9, 2013

As a self-employed, small business owner you are always looking for ways to do things more effectively. Using email to inform, educate and ultimately earn trust is the most effective digital selling tool you have available today. On...

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

You may or may not be surprised to hear that there are three different versions of the application, of course these are “paper” or PDF versions of the application and would be required to be mailed in once completed. I...

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

So you’re considering buying a Health Savings Account plan (HSA)? That’s great. A HSA will almost always offer you the best bang for your buck, delivering the lowest monthly premium in exchange for the lowest out-of-pocket...

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

How to Effectively Build an Online Audience that Drives Sales with Marcus Sheridan, Greg Ciotti, Ryan Hanley and Tommy Walker

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Health. Care. Insurance. Hangout is back to ask one simple questions, where was your meat last night? If you don't know the answer to that question, you will probably find this conversation to be an eye-opener. You might be saying...

Thursday, April 11, 2013

At the end of last year I put together a list of 13 Questions Answered About Ohio's Health Insurance Exchange. It turned out to be a hit with you and everyone else scrambling for information on the upcoming changes surrounding Ohio...

Friday, April 5, 2013

There has been a lot said about what will and will not happen at the start of 2014 when the Affordable Care Act firmly takes hold of the health insurance and healthcare industries. One thing's for sure, health insurance will never be...

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

This week on the Health. Care. Insurance. Hangout I was joined by cardiologist Dr. John Stephens of the Cleveland Clinic and Ashtabula County Medical Center to discuss ways to keep your heart healthy. Dr. Stephens shared with us his...

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Patrick shared knowledge on creating a systematic approach to marketing and why he feels it's the most important system businesses can implement. Download your free ebook "7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success" for watching this...

Friday, March 22, 2013

Hold on, take a couple deep breaths. It’s going to be alright. Sure there is enough uncertainty surrounding the impact of health care reform to fill a Costco sized jar of pickles, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know...

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Chef Dennis shared with us his 5 tips to make your cooking more chef worthy. Download your guide to follow along with the hangout. During our hangout Chef Dennis demonstrated some basic knives skills and discussed proper technique. He...

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

During my conversation with Tina, we go in depth on topics like charity care, what's behind the doctor shortage, wellness and prevention. Tina also helps you understand why medical treatment cost so much money and what is being done to...

Friday, March 8, 2013

This is a topic I rarely talk about, in fact it might be the first time I have specifically addressed “low cost health insurance.” There is a reason for that and it’s simply not an oversight on my part. The problem I...

Thursday, March 7, 2013

I talk with Stephen about the importance of setting realistic expectations and how to avoid putting up barriers and extinguishing those pesky excuses that always seem to come up. Steve also provides you with some fitness basics to help...

Monday, March 4, 2013

To make sure you are up-to-date with the latest information on the pending marketplaces, I have assembled everything we know about the enrollment process, plan types, tax subsidies and cost sharing opportunities thus far. Things are...

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The panel consisted of Carrie Reynolds (The Insurance Goddess) co-owner of Alan Galvez Insurance in Bellefountaine, OH, David Berry founder of Texas Insurance Pro in Dallas, TX and Brent Kelly (The Insurance Coach) from Clemens and...

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

You might be wondering why I recently spent half a week in the hospital? Well, my wife and I just welcomed the arrival of our second child, Gabriella, early Monday morning last week. As joyous and celebrated as the birth of a new baby...

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

I should have known it would be like this. The insurance agent in me shouldn’t have expected anything less. Of course all individual health insurance plans were going to operate on an open enrollment schedule when...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

I may be naive, growing up in an insurance family, there was never any questions about insurance or who you would go talk to if you needed help. 15 minutes at "the office," as my family cleverly calls it, and you would be able to get...

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

This move would seem to be in direct response to the confusion and malaise surrounding people's understanding of exactly what an "exchange" is? We even dedicated a whole blog post answering some of your most frequently asked questions....

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Cat·a·stroph·ic: A momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin Just like self-employed health insurance, there is no such thing as an official catastrophic health insurance...

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

You own your own business, well done. You are living the dream, you are your own boss. You can work any 80 hours a week you want. Trying to cram 15 hours of work into a 9-10 hour day leaves little time for ancillary business tasks like...

Thursday, January 10, 2013

So you are looking for health insurance... Fantastic! It's a good thing you realized how costly a medical emergency can be if you don't have the proper coverage. Now you just need to know what plans you should be looking for and which...

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

I was watching “Trouble with the Curve” the other night, a movie (starring Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams) about an aging baseball scout and his troubled relationship with his daughter. In the movie, there's a lot of...

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini stated that premiums are likely to increase 25 percent to 50 percent on average in the small-group and individual markets, with some markets going up as much as 100 percent. 100 percent? I have had my own...

Friday, December 14, 2012

With just under two weeks left to the year's biggest gift exchange, finding something for everyone on your list can be more stressful than a top secret navy seal mission. If that isn't bad enough, you always have that one person who is...

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

You have heard the stories before, be it first hand, on the news or through the grapevine. Almost everyone has a tale about someone not having a procedure covered by their health insurance. Some of these stories are true, some are not...

Thursday, December 6, 2012

You all know the story by now. On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, otherwise known as "Obamacare," which created the soon-to-launch Ohio Health Insurance Exchange. In...

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

So what’s stopping you? It could be that you know very little about maternity coverage. Is it included in your coverage through work? Can you get it on an individual or family policy? How much does a baby cost? These are all...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

It’s that time of year again, your health insurance is up for renewal. Another year, another increase. You could barely afford what you were paying last year, how can you possibly handle paying another dollar more? If your...

Monday, November 19, 2012

So you’re thinking about buying insurance, but you're not sure how to get started? You’ve poked around on a few self-serve websites, but the prospect of making such an important decision on your own has left you hesitant to...

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

So you’re thinking about applying for individual or family health insurance, but the thought of completing an application usually ignites a string of panic attacks. Don’t worry you are not alone. In fact, some health...

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Let’s run through a handful of tips that will have you reading your next EOB like a pro. 1. Know the Basics Your explanation of benefits will contain your name, address, policy ID number and if the coverage is through your...

Monday, October 29, 2012

Health Savings Account’s or HSA are becoming an increasingly popular choice for people who want to get the biggest bank for their buck with their health insurance. It doesn’t matter if you purchased one on your own, or...

Friday, October 12, 2012

So you need health insurance, but you have no idea where to start. What should you look for? How do you compare plans? Just like Baskin Robbins’ 31 flavors, it seems like an endless line of options when sifting through different...

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Negotiation is slowly becoming a lost art form. There use to be a time when your old man would haggle with a department store salesman on almost anything. It could’ve been a new color TV, a pair of slacks or one of those...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

If it’s one thing people know about health insurance, it's that it costs a lot of money. That’s true, but what they don’t know, is there are plenty of ways to manage those cost effectively. If you or your health...

Thursday, September 20, 2012

For those companies and business owners who still do, or those who are ready to offer them again, your employees will be thankful for it. Not to mention, it gives you a tremendous advantage acquiring top notch talent over your...

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Getting approved for health insurance is a problem for a large number of Americans. Insurance companies lack of enthusiasm for people with moderate and severe health conditions has been well documented and publicized over recent years....

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

So everyone knows President Obama passed his health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), back in 2010. You also know that over the summer The Supreme Court voted to uphold the constitutionality of...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

We have all done it, you probably did it today. No, not waste time on Facebook at work, I’m talking about making a mistake. You know, like thinking you can be a major league pitcher with a low 80’s fastball, or rooting for...

Friday, August 31, 2012

It’s payday and you are on your way to the bank to deposit your check. You pull up to the drive through window and give the teller your instructions for your transaction. When you are finished you receive a balance of how much...

Monday, August 27, 2012

There's a lot of things you think you might need, but upon closer examination, you find out you don't. Like another Fast and Furious movie, reading the news paper... on paper or even a reunion album from your favorite band from high...

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

So you are an adult now, you no longer live in your parents basement, you have used an iron more than once in the last 12 months, you no longer eat an entire pizza in one sitting and staying up past 11:00 p.m. has become a physical...

Friday, August 17, 2012

Asking why health care is so expensive is like asking how they make hot dogs or how Demi Moore looks as vibrant and youthful as she did when I still was in grade school. We ask these questions without really wanting to know the answer....

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

If you purchased any individual or family health insurance plan after September 23, 2010, chances are it covers preventive services at 100 percent before your deductible. That’s a fancy insurance way of saying free of charge....

Thursday, August 9, 2012

It’s easy for anyone, who has never needed serious medical treatment, to say something like that. A person in their 20’s or 30’s normally has only experienced health insurance to handle an occasional doctor’s...

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Before you light the torches and pull out the pitchforks, hear me out for four to five hundred words. A very common occurrence I deal with on an almost daily basis is people coming to the realization they cannot afford most health...

Friday, August 3, 2012

Becoming overly complacent with your health insurance or health insurance company can only lead to one thing, paying more than necessary for your insurance. There is nothing stopping you from switching companies every year (well there...

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

So you know last month the Supreme Court decided to uphold almost all of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). However a lot of people are still unaware of what the new law covers and when it will...

Friday, July 27, 2012

Now what? Well... You wait. Getting approved for a health insurance policy is not a 30 minute process. In fact, it will take at least seven to ten days for the company to reach a decision. Depending on your medical history and if...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Sometime around your 16th year of responsibility collecting you become capable/legally allowed to operate an automobile. Even though most of us probably felt like old men and women at this point, wise beyond our years, this is huge...

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Price This is the most obvious and frequent determining factor for anyone shopping for health insurance. There is nothing wrong with going with the most affordable option. This doesn’t mean you are cheap, or getting less...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

There is a not-so-new kid on the block when it comes to looking at health insurance options. Health Savings Account plans, or HSA’s for short, have been available for a while now, however they are just starting to become a...

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Health Insurance It does not matter if you purchase your own health insurance or are covered through your employer. Your health insurances’ primary job is protecting you from hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential medical...

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Let’s say you have a terrible sinus infection and you absolutely can’t take it anymore. You finally break down and schedule an appoint with your primary care doctor. Since this condition is relatively mild compared to other...

Monday, July 9, 2012

There have been a lot of terms tossed around in the last few years to identify the crisis surrounding our self destructive health care system. Between Health Care Reform, ObamaCare, Single Payer and Universal Health Care it can be hard...

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Let’s forget for a second that it costs as much as a small country’s gross national product for a doctor to save your life or that there is 40 million uninsured Americans. There is something, more important, that comes...

Friday, June 22, 2012

The term “high deductible” has become somewhat of a whipping boy in the last few years. People assume that if you have a “high deductible,” your insurance is “no good.” While paying less for...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

1. Be Realistic What gets a lot of people in trouble when looking for their own health insurance is they often will only consider plans that are similar to what they had with a previous employer. A majority of the those plans are...

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

It’s never fun picking up the phone to tell someone they have to pay more for the same thing they already have. It is however, the realistic nature of health insurance and part of my job. What makes it easier for you is...

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Basics Short-Term health insurance is just what it sounds like, insurance coverage for a very specific, or “short” amount of time. This of course, is different from the traditional, open ended, coverage provided by...

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The truth of the matter is, they needed that life insurance 20 years ago. Now that doesn’t mean there is not a need for life insurance in a middle age couples plans. The purpose of life insurance is to protect the financial...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Individual health plans in the workplace can deliver two major benefits upfront. One, it will give each employee a much wider range of plans to select from, instead of the one or two options a traditional group plan might offer. And...

Thursday, September 29, 2011

This new technology will allow Anthem members the opportunity to compare the price and quality of near by medical faculties for certain diagnostic testing such as MRI’s and CT scans. Anyone who has had a doctor order a diagnostic...

Thursday, September 8, 2011

At first glance the laundry list of insurance terms can be intimidating, with deductibles, coinsurance, copays, premium, PPO, HSA, out-of-pocket maximums and coinsurance maximums. It’s easy to see how people can become...

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

On a more serious note, as of September 23, 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Health Care Reform Bill, activated the first wave of laws aimed at improving our bloated health care system. Among the handful of new...

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Company Size and Who is Affected? Let's take a look at who will be affected by the law. The PPACA (Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act) mandates will apply to companies with 50 or more full time employees. How exactly is the...

Friday, December 10, 2010

The law will effect group plans as well as individual policies on the next plan anniversary after 9/23/10. Dependents are NOT required to live with their parents and do NOT have to qualify as dependent on their parents income taxes....

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Act adds new responsibilities for employers and insurance carriers. While most of the provisions will start in 2014 or later, some provisions are effective right away or within a short period of time after enactment. Effective 2010...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

We’ve all experienced it – you walk into the doctor’s office for an appointment and the receptionist kindly greets you by asking for your insurance information. After you’ve presented the proper credentials, the...