Aetna

There’s so much confusion about are Advantage plans good or bad? Should you use a licensed agent or are they just out to take money and hurt you?

Let me shed some light on this as I have been educating on these things for years.

1. Licensed agents MUST take an annual test, pass with a 90% or higher plus 2-4 hours PER CARRIER of additional training to make sure to understand the upcoming product and regulatory changes EVERY YEAR.

2. The insurance carrier like Anthem, Aetna, Humana, UHC pay the agent, NOT YOU. Annnnnnnd, the government tells them what they are allowed to pay. It is the SAME regardless of which Advantage plan you choose.

3. If you have had any kind of insurance in the last 30 years, you are used to using networks of providers and how managed care works. These networks have drastically grown in the last 5-10 years!

4. A licensed agent is going to ask you multiple questions and do a needs assessment to try and whittle the 50+ options that are available down to a select few, then discuss with you each of those 2-4 options for you to make an educated decision on this very personal choice.

5. If you use network providers and the treatment you receive is covered by Medicare, (meaning not cosmetic or experimental) then Advantage plans can save you money. Below is an example of how someone who is severely ill has had hundreds of throusands of dollars in claims and their share of these bills has been minimal.

At the end of the day, your best friend, neighbor, or whoever you are talking to about your healthcare does NOT have the level of experience nor are they legally liable for the advice that they provide, where a licensed agent is. You wouldn’t seek these people out if you had a legal issue to deal with. You’d go to a legal expert who passed the Bar Exam. Why wouldn’t you talk to someone equally qualified when it comes to your health insurance needs?