The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be driving millions of people to either get health insurance or look at switching plans. The net result is a huge new marketing opportunity for insurance agents to sell not only health insurance, but far more lucrative insurance for life, disability, long term care, indemnity, auto and home or financial services. However, insurance agents should be prohibited from cross selling any non-health related insurance products during the initial meeting with prospects for the new ACA health plans.
Covered California
Posts on the development and implementation of the California health insurance market place, application, account, enrollment, termination.
Obamacare Education Launches in Sacramento
People and families from across the Sacramento region descended upon the Coffee Garden to help launch the outreach and educational campaign for the Affordable Care Act this past Sunday, August 4th. The local chapter of Organizing For Action in conjunction with UCDavis Health Systems presented an overview of the Covered California state health insurance marketplace organized under the health care reform legislation known as Obamacare.
Insurance Agents Embrace Obamacare For Money
Many insurance agents who sell health plans and have vehemently opposed the Affordable Care Act have gone through the classic stages of grief over its passage: denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally, acceptance. While some in the industry still hold out hope that the fortieth plus attempt to repeal the ACA will be a charm, most have accepted the new law and are looking ways to adapt and profit from its provisions.
New Covered California Small Business Plans Look Competitive
Covered California released their small business health option plans (SHOP) for small employers and they might prove competitive for some companies with less than 50 employees. There will absolutely be small businesses that will not participate because they don’t want to support any government bureaucracy, even if it is to their benefit.
Covered California Loses Sales Director Michael Lujan
From past experience, Lujan’s focus has been in the small business group market and that was the area he was initially brought in to manage. In recent months it has become evident that SHOP may not play as well as some people had anticipated. On top of the nervousness from small businesses and their lack of enthusiasm over the ACA, Anthem Blue Cross announced they won’t participate in SHOP.
Encouraging Young Adults Not To Purchase Health Insurance
The new strategy of the GOP and Tea Party unveiled this summer to derail Obamacare is to encourage young adults not to purchase health insurance. It is beyond my comprehension that they would rely on the government, either through the promise of the individual mandate or persuasive marketing, to deliver a certain percentage of young adults for enrollment.
Covered California Health Plans Ignore Agents
Covered California has been assuring health insurance agents that they will be an important part of the effort to enroll millions of residents in affordable health insurance. Unfortunately, many of the health plans they have selected for the California market place are giving insurance agents the cold shoulder.
Anthem Blue Cross Withdraws From Covered California Small Group Health Plans
Anthem Blue Cross of California has withdrawn their application to offer small group health insurance plans through Covered California. Unlike the individual and family market health plans purchased through Covered California that will be invoiced directly by the respective carrier, the SHOP plans are to be purchased and administered by Covered California.
Covered California To Waste Money On Doctor Education
Covered California has already awarded $43 million for public outreach and education. Seven of the recipients that received grant money are organizations that are already involved with the health care industry. Yet we need more money spent just to talk to doctors, nurses and physical therapists?
Children’s Dental Insurance added to Covered California
Children’s dental insurance options have now been added to the line of plans being offered through California’s health insurance exchange Covered California. Part of the ten Essential Health Benefits that must be offered through the new health insurance exchanges or Marketplaces is pediatric dental. The state exchanges can meet this requirement in various ways and Covered California has opted to offer stand alone plans.