(or any insurance for that matter)
About once a week I get a phone call on my cell from someone who wants to sell me health insurance. Many times, the call starts out with a recorded voice telling me all the great options that are available in the individual market and how they have open enrollment periods with approved carriers etc…
I usually indicate that I am interested because I want to know what kind of scam they are peddling this week. And make no mistake, most of these calls are at worst predatory and at best misleading.
The rep that they put me through to will usually use lots of buzz words such as, “open enrollment” “major medical” “PPO” “qualified” etc… so that I will feel comfortable buying something from them. I find it is usually hard to get a straight answer about what they are actually selling but it is always some product that they get paid a large commission on.
I know that many people get these calls. In fact, we get calls weekly from people that were sold a product they don’t need, didn’t want and didn’t understand.
So, what can you do to avoid these health insurance pitfalls? It is simple really:
- Do not give your information out online to unknown companies or websites. Be wary of the faceless insurance agents online and the large agencies that sell to the whole country.
If you put your phone number or email address into many of these online websites that sell health insurance (or other types of insurance such as Medicare), expect to get spammed with calls and emails. A lot of spam. We have customers call us that put their number in on a random health insurance website online and they got over 30 calls in a couple of hours. Many online sites sell your information as a lead to tons of agents online. This leads into my next point:
- Use a trusted, local, independent agent to help you get the coverage or services you need. Let me break down why:
- TRUSTED – Trust is earned in many ways, but when shopping online the best way to determine if an insurance agent can be trusted is by their reviews. Look for an agent with lots of high ranking reviews and read those reviews to make sure they look real. Agents with great reviews have a reputation of providing the best possible service and you can expect to get top notch services from them.
- LOCAL – If I am buying an insurance product in Georgia, that is largely regulated by Georgia law, then I want my agent to also be from Georgia. I do not want them to be halfway across the country working a lead in a part of the country they care nothing about and have no reputation in. A trusted, local agent will know more about the laws and regulation in their state and they will care more about the clients in their state. They live in the same communities they work for.
- INDEPENDENT – This means the agent is not captive to any one insurance agency. The point of an independent agent is that they can shop around and force the insurance companies to compete for YOUR business. As a consumer you benefit from working with an independent agent that can get you the best plan at the best price, no matter what company is offering it.
So, how does our company, Georgia Health Insurance, measure up?
⇒ TRUSTED – We have a stellar reputation online. We are 5 star rated on Google, 4.8 on Facebook and 5 on Yelp. As well as having additional testimonies on our website (here). Customer service is very important to us and our reviews reflect that.
⇒ LOCAL – We do business in GEORGIA exclusively for all the insurance services we offer (Individual and Group Health, Medicare, Life, Disability and Long-Term Care). We have been in business for 12+ years and have been doing insurance in Georgia for 18+ years. We are invested in Georgia in ways that an agent on the other side of the county is not. Our whole lives are in Georgia.
⇒ INDEPENDENT – We will always be independent. We decided long ago that this was the best way to serve our clients. We work with over 50 companies and are unbiased and honest when it comes to recommending the best products for our client.
Whether you need Group or Individual Health, Life, Disability, Medicare or Long-Term Care Insurance, Georgia Health Insurance is the best option. We look forward to providing you with the best customer service possible, we stake our reputation on it!
