Utah Independent Health Insurance Agents
Why should I use an independent health insurance agent?
We get this question all the time. Everyone thinks that using an independent agent costs you more, is more inconvenient and that they are just trying to shove into whatever plan they can. So what we are going to discuss here is how we can dispel some of those myths and maybe open your eyes into how you should never attempt to get health insurance without one.
Actually you couldn't be further from the truth. Since premiums are set by state law, if you went direct to the health insurance providers and looked at a certain plan, that very same plan would be exactly the same price. Because the state mandates it, it cannot be different. So for the same premium, you get the expertise that an independent health insurance agent will give you.
Using an independent agent can actually streamline the process. Instead of the hours and hours of searches about what each carrier offers, their pricing and whether they will cover whatever pre-existing condition that you have, we have that information readily available. We know these things because this is all we do. We don't offer auto or homeowners plans. We just know health insurance in Utah. We specialize on what little or bigs changes each company is up to. We know what the state regulations are. We know it because we search it out for you!
Now this one is understandable that people will feel this way. This is definitely not the norm. There have been some definite ethical lapses from agents in the past. I think if you investigated, you would find that the culprits on this were not independent agents. They were probably what is called a "captive agent". What that means is that the only health plans that they carry are only for one carrier. Most of those carriers were selling what they called "association plans" or claimed they were custom plans for the self-employed. These plans were most limited benefit plans and generally not even as cost effective as a regular major medical plan.
Another thing that a "captive agent" has to do is also claim that his health plan is the greatest thing since sliced bread because that is the only carrier he offers. An indpenedent agent has no loyalty to a carrier because he represents them all and only wants to find the best and least expensive plan he can find for you. So always ask if the agent represents all of the health insurance companies in Utah. If they don't, say thanks, but no thanks, because if they don't, you will never know if there is a better plan from another carrier out there.
So now that we dispelled some myths, let's now talk about what else could be a benefit for using an independent health insurance agent.
Each carrier will underwrite a health condition differently. Some will cover certain conditions and some will not. We know, through our research and experience, which carriers will handle what conditions. We take the guesswork out of it and save you the time of going through underwriting with each carrier until you find one that will take you. Or we know who won't increase your premiums to cover that condition as well!
The largest healthcare provider in the state, SelectHealth Utah and Intermountain Healthcare (IHC), have some of their doctors only available in their networks. Some doctors that accept other networks don't accept SelectHealth. We can find out whic network your doctor is in very quickly and take away the guesswork
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. An independent agent can help you determine if there are better plans out there for you. Sometimes an Utah HSA plan combined with a supplemental plan is exactly what might be right for you or your family. We will sit down and go through all of your options to find the right health plan for you.
We could go on and on about all the things that are great about using an independent health insurance agent, but we'll stop here. Remember, if you don't use one, you'll probably be stuck with an entry level customer service rep at the insurance carrier who is just an order taker that will cost you the same premium as using an expert. So think about it before you take the leap. Using Crystal Pacific Insurance as your agent will never make you unsatisfied. We will always strive to exceed your expectations when it comes to serving you. Let us prove it to you!