Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK
One of the most important decisions you can make for yourself and your family is choosing the right health insurance. Despite – or perhaps, because of – the changes that occurred in the Health Insurance Industry in 2010 with the passage of the Federal Affordable Care Act, finding the right health insurance coverage can often be a confusing and overwhelming task. There are countless options to wade through: hundreds of plans, dozens of companies, employer-based coverage, short-term coverage, catastrophic coverage, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Supplements, HMOs, PPOs, small group plans, and more. How do you know what choice is right for you?
Many people are not aware that they can get help from a licensed health insurance broker or agent that can answer the important questions and clear up the confusion. Derby Insurance Solutions has been privileged to provide this assistance as the highest rated and most reviewed agency in the state of Oklahoma and of all Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK, serving thousands of clients in the Tulsa Metro area and all over the state of Oklahoma for more than 20 years. We understand the Health Insurance Industry landscape and work hard to stay current on regulations and any new changes and updates as they are occuring in real time. We also never charge for our services! Our Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK are here to serve you and your family and help you find the best coverage possible for your situation.
WHY DO YOU NEED HEALTH INSURANCE?
Health Insurance can help protect you from the high costs of illness or injury. It also provides patients with regular healthcare, including preventive care, doctor visits, and vaccines. Health Insurance also gives you significant financial protection should you have a serious accident or unexpected illness, as well as reducing your overall medical expenses. More importantly – it is not an exaggeration to say that having health insurance can be the difference between life and death.
It is estimated that more than 26,000 Americans die each year because of lack of health insurance. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine estimated that “lack of health insurance” was the sixth leading cause of death in the United States for people aged 25-64. Those numbers are increasing every year. According to Families USA, lack of insurance is now the third leading single cause of death among Americans aged 55-64,falling only behind heart disease and cancer.
Unlike other situations in life, most people are not able to predict precisely when they will need medical care–especially for an emergency or a life-saving medical intervention. Appendicitis, broken limbs, car accidents, serious viral infections, stroke, cancer, or even ongoing, nagging physical symptoms that interfere with the necessities of everyday life, including caring for your family or the ability to work, are all examples of when healthcare is not optional, but a necessity. This is particularly true because of the extreme increase in the cost of healthcare across the nation.
Have you ever broken a bone? Today the cost for standard treatment of a broken arm or leg would likely be as much as $10,000, and that does not include the additional potential expense if surgery is needed. Need to have your appendix taken out? For individuals without health insurance, an appendectomy typically costs between $10,000-$35,000 or more. What about a serious virus or respiratory infection? Currently in Oklahoma, patients who need to be treated and hospitalized for Covid or similar conditions average $60,000 for a non-complex case and almost $400,000 for complex cases.
Many people believe that healthcare providers and hospitals will provide the life-saving interventions and specialized care that they need, should they experience a health emergency like this, whether they have health insurance or not. This is not true.
In the past, hospitals were often known to take on uninsured patients and write off costs, or eliminate or significantly reduce bills due to “hardship,” but now, with the financial climate we have in the United States and the escalating costs of medical care, if you do not have health insurance and you need urgent medical care, you will only receive the bare minimum of care. Providers will determine if you are “stable” and then send you home–followed by a hefty bill in the mail. This scenario happens all too often, and we don’t want it to happen to you. This is why it is worth the time to talk to a Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK at Derby Insurance Solutions.
Most doctors and providers will not even agree to schedule an appointment for you if you cannot prove that you have active health insurance. Even if you are able to get in the door, you will likely discover that you do not receive the same care and treatment as someone who is insured. We have so many clients that can testify to this truth. Practically speaking, that means that you will not receive the same medications, tests, treatment, labwork, surgeries, or other medical interventions that can make the difference not only between life and death, but your qualify of life as well, as those individuals with active health insurance. This is why Derby Insurance Solutions is so passionate about helping people find the best possible health insurance they can afford to meet their needs and protect them from financial devastation, as the best Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK.
A Derby Insurance Solutions client experienced this very type of situation first-hand a few years ago. At the time, he had no insurance coverage and thought he didn’t need any because he had a healthy bank account and a thriving business. When he started to have heart trouble he went to the hospital. The Emergency Room ran basic tests, told him he had had a minor heart attack, that he should see a specialist, and sent him home. He paid the ER bill, but was frustrated that he really didn’t have any answers or idea of what was wrong–or how to prevent another heart attack. A friend who had experienced his own cardiac issues recommended our client see a specialist that had outstanding reviews and had been very proactive and helpful with his care. The cardiologist had run several tests and pinpointed the source of the trouble. Our client went in hopeful to get help, but once again he was given general information about how he needed to change his lifestyle and was sent home. He later called the cardiologist’s office and asked why he wasn’t referred for the same tests his friend had been given. He was told it was because he didn’t have Health Insurance. When he insisted he should have the same care available to him and that he always paid his medical bills, he was told that without Health Insurance, providers would not authorize the procedures he wanted and legitimately needed.
Stories like this are why we here at Derby Insurance Solutions are so passionate about helping people and is why we work hard to be the best Health Insurance Brokers Tulsa OK. We want to help you get Health Insurance! Call us at 918-451-9783 and speak with one of our licensed agents, who can help you find the best option to meet your needs.
HEALTH INSURANCE 102
NEED HEALTH INSURANCE? HERE’S WHAT TO DO . . .
Perhaps you don’t currently have health insurance or you are about to lose your health insurance coverage for some reason. Maybe you have changed jobs or have just learned that you no longer qualify for Soonercare. Perhaps you are turning 26 and will no longer be able to keep coverage through your parents’ health insurance policy. You already know how important it is to have good coverage for yourself and for your family. What should do you do? You should call an Oklahoma City Health Insurance Agency! Preferably the highest rated and most reviewed Agency in Oklahoma—Derby Insurance Solutions!
All of our licensed agents are well-versed in the “ins and outs” of the health insurance industry, and are experts at finding the best possible plan for your budget. We specialize in all kinds of qualified individual health coverage, including group plans for large and small businesses and even Medicare supplements. If you are looking for health insurance, we can help you!
WHAT KIND OF INSURANCE IS AVAILABLE?
There are only four ways to get qualified, major medical coverage in Oklahoma. “Qualified” means that the health insurance plan provides coverage protection for at least ten categories of essential health benefits, as outlined under the Affordable Care Act, along with necessary preventive services. These “essential” benefits include emergency room care and urgent care, prescription drugs, maternity care, vaccinations, labwork, pediatric care, mental health services, hospitalization, and more.
Qualified major medical coverage also follows established guidelines for limits on the cost-sharing components of the plan, which include the individual and family deductibles and out-of-pocket maximum amounts—in other words, how much the plan will pay for and what your financial responsibility will be. This is very important because these limits protect you from the potentially devastating financial impact of healthcare. Those out-of-pocket maximums aren’t usually very exciting, but they are so much better than what other “plans” require. We have several clients who came to us because they purchased non-qualified plans elsewhere from companies that happily took their money but would not cover their medical care expenses. We often get calls from upset individuals owing thousands of dollars in bills because their “health insurance” wouldn’t pay anything toward their medical care. We don’t want this to happen to you! This is why having qualified coverage is so important and why you can benefit from the service provided by the best Oklahoma City Health Insurance Agency – Derby Insurance Solutions!
WHAT KIND OF QUALIFIED INSURANCE IS AVAILABLE IN OKLAHOMA?
First is Soonercare, otherwise known as Oklahoma Medicaid. Oklahoma residents voted in 2020 to expand Oklahoma Medicaid coverage, which raised the qualifying income level and opened up eligibility consideration for all adults ages 19-64. As a result, the expansion was implemented in 2021, and now there is no longer a “gap” where people are not able to qualify for health insurance coverage. Soonercare is only available to individuals with a household income that falls below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. These numbers change on a regular basis, so if you would like to find out whether or not you meet the income guidelines to qualify for Soonercare, please call your Oklahoma City Health Insurance Agency – Derby Insurance Solutions, at 918-451-9783 and we can answer your questions!
The second type of Qualified Health Coverage in Oklahoma is Group Insurance Coverage available through an employer. Health insurance used to be almost exclusively obtained through employment, and while that has changed somewhat, many, many Oklahomans still receive this important benefit through their jobs. According to the Affordable Care Act, if you are offered “affordable” and “qualified” coverage through your employer, you would not qualify for a Premium Tax Credit. This would likely mean that employer-sponsored Group coverage is the best option for you.
However, there have been changes made recently that have helped many of our clients, particularly the elimination of the “Family Glitch.” If you are paying a lot of money to cover your family through your job-sponsored plan, give us a call and we might be able to help you save a substantial amount. We are also happy to assist with determining whether your employer-sponsored plan meets the “affordability” and “qualifying” guidelines that were established by the Affordable Care Act.
Also, if you are a business owner with at least one other active party, either a partner or an employee—we can help you set up your own Group Coverage plan. One of the reasons we are the best Oklahoma City Health Insurance Agency is because we happily serve small Oklahoma businesses that other agencies and insurance companies don’t make the time for. We are always interested in helping you find the best options for your health care and providing our top-rated customer service for you and your employees.
The third type of qualified health insurance in Oklahoma is through a Short Term plan. For some of our clients, utilizing Short Term plan coverage is a great option—even if only for a small window of time. The cost is often lower for Short Term coverage, although the cost-sharing components can be higher than other types of coverage, and they do not cover preexisting conditions. These plans can be carried for a matter of days up to a maximum of just under three years.
Finally, the fourth type of qualified health coverage in Oklahoma is through The Marketplace. Often referred to as “Obamacare,” the Marketplace is the Federal platform for qualifying medical coverage offered to Americans who meet necessary guidelines as established by the Affordable Care Act. For those that do qualify, the vast majority receive Premium Tax Credits from the federal government which offset the cost or monthly premiums of these plans. Many of our clients are able to obtain qualified health coverage at zero to very minimal cost.
Also, if you are Native American, with documented membership in a federally recognized tribe, there are amazing special provisions for Marketplace coverage that can reduce or eliminate the cost of your healthcare. We have many, many clients who are Native American and have incredible qualified plans with $0 deductible and $0 out-of-pocket maximums, often with a $0 monthly premium. These plans are truly outstanding and with more than 20 years’ experience serving Native Americans in Oklahoma, we are undoubtedly the best Oklahoma City Health Insurance Agency to advise you and help you determine if you qualify.