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| I'm Getting a LOT of Phone Calls. Who Should I Trust? |
| Ask the agent some questions to better understand his/her qualifications. My recommendation is to look for an insurance agent that is a member of an Agency. This way, even if the agent leaves the business, the Agency will be there to support you. Secondly, choose an agent that has a physical office (not an office located in his/her house). I recommend this for a couple of reasons; one: The agent has made a financial commitment to the insurance business by taking on retail space; two: Newly licensed agents don't generally rent space or purchase buildings shortly after getting licensed. Make sure your agent has an office staff available to support any issues you may encounter. It's virtually impossible for one person to sell insurance products while simultaneously supporting a large number of clients. I personally wouldn't work with an agent that doesn't have employees dedicated to client support. With no support staff the agent either doesn't have a large client base (showing lack of experience) or they aren't going to be able to properly support their client base (why would you want that?). Another thing to look for when choosing an agent is experience. How long has the agent been licensed? How many clients do they have? You want to be sure the person you're talking to is qualified to recommend the right product and support it after the purchase. A quick (yet not always accurate) way to pre qualify an agent is to look at his/her website. It needs to be visually appealing as well as offer a wealth of information. This usually means the agent has been in the business long enough to have created a mature website. Lastly, you may want to look at the email address of an agent...if the address ends in yahoo.com or hotmail.com or sbcglobal.com...I would personally question why they haven't made the investment in securing a solid Internet presence for their clientele. Don't be some brand new agent's "Guinea Pig". Choose an established agency for your insurance needs. |
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| What Should I Look for in an Insurance Plan? |
There are really 5 Event Categories that make one insurance company "better" than another. You really need to know how the following Categories are covered by your chosen provider:
(1) Preventative such as routine examinations, immunizations, etc.
(2) Simple doctor visits for non-emergency items.
(3) Prescriptions; both Generic and Brand Name.
(4) Emergency Room or Urgent Care facilities.
(5) Surgery; both Outpatient and Hospitalization. |
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| What Is the BEST Insurance Product in the State of Missouri? |
| Let me preface this paragraph with a disclaimer: This is nothing more than the opinion of 877 MY INSURANCE and is solely based upon our experiences with many different insurance companies and the feedback received from many of the thousands of clients we've written policies for (and supported) over the years. That being said...Anthem Blue Cross and GHP offer the most comprehensive plans. Of all of the insurance companies we work with, we have the LEAST problems with these two companies. This is not to say other companies don't have a purpose, but if you can afford the best, Anthem or GHP should be your solution. |
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| What If I Have Pre-Existing Conditions? |
| Insurance companies handle pre-existing conditions in different ways. The options are that nothing happens, an exclusion is put on the condition for a specified number of years, an indefinite exclusion is put on the condition, your premiums increase due to the condition, or you are declined by the company. Unfortunately we have no control over this procedure. However, you are not obligated to accept the insurance if you don't agree with the terms. I will note that Anthem Blue Cross and GHP DO NOT exclude any pre-existing condition with an issued policy. As long as the condition is disclosed on the application and the policy is issued, you will be covered. If you have had prior coverage with any credible insurance company for 12 months prior to applying with Anthem or GHP, you will have no waiting period on your condition either. With GHP, as long as your application is accepted, regardless of prior coverage history, your pre-existing condition will be covered. |
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| Which Doctors and Hospitals Can I Use? |
| American Community and Time Insurance (Assurant) primarily use the Healthlink, Healthlink Open Access II, or PHCS networks. You can search for doctors or hospitals at www.healthlink.com or www.phcs.com respectively. Anthem Blue Cross and United Healthcare's Golden Rule networks can be viewed by visiting their websites: Anthem (www.anthem.com), Golden Rule (www.goldenrule.com). Providers for GHP can be found at www.ghp.com. |
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| Can I Get a Better Price By Shopping Around? |
| Absolutely not. Insurance policies cost EXACTLY the same, regardless of whom you purchase them from. Pricing has nothing to do with how much business the agency does with the insurance company, there are no "special pricing" deals, etc. Insurance is regulated by the State and it's actually illegal to modify the price of a plan (as well as impossible). It's even the same price if you go directly to the insurance company itself. What you're really purchasing is support from the agency you do business with; will they take care of you in the event you have an issue with your chosen provider. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service. A good agency will act as a "buffer" between you and the insurance company. You should only have to make a quick phone call to your agent in order to resolve any dispute. |
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| Can I Be Singled Out for Rate Increases? |
| Absolutely not. After you're accepted your rates will increase with all others in your age group, across the entire state, regardless of your claim history. Additionally, you cannot be cancelled due to claims history. Once you're "in", the insurance company will take very good care of you. 877 MY INSURANCE only recommends companies that have a solid track record of paying their claims and taking care of their members. |
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| How Long Does it Take to Get Approved? |
| This varies widely depending upon the information contained in your application and what the insurance company finds when running your social security number through the system. Sometimes insurance companies order doctor records, sometimes they call the client to ask additional questions, and sometimes they even order PARAMED exams (blood tests, urine tests, etc). A safe estimate is anywhere from 30 to 45 days from application to approval. However, this is not a guarantee, merely an approximation. |
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| Once Accepted, How Long Am I Obligated to Keep the Insurance? |
| 877 MY INSURANCE wouldn't offer a plan that makes you keep the insurance for a specified period of time...and we wouldn't recommend taking a plan that does. All of our products can be cancelled at any time and there is never a contractual obligation to continue coverage. Health Insurance policies are month to month contracts. |
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| Will My Rates Ever Go Up? |
| Almost all insurance companies have annual premium increases (I've never heard of one that doesn't). However, with most insurance companies you are locked into your rate for at least 12 months. Rate increases are based upon a win-loss ratio from the prior year. Therefore, there is no set percentage or amount for rate increases; it's all based upon how much money was made or lost by the insurance company in your age bracket across the entire State. By choosing an agency that offers multiple companies, we can re-shop your insurance at any time...always making sure you have the best coverage at the best price. |
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| I Own My Own Business. Can I Get Group Insurance? |
| The qualifications and rules for Group Health Insurance can be complicated, depending on your needs. In its simplest form, you need at least 2 employees and at least 75% of all eligible employees must take the insurance (unless they're covered under a group policy by their spouse). Please call to discuss your situation and to discuss more rules pertaining to Group Insurance. |
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