so now that health reform has passed a lot of people are out there wondering how it is going to affect them. in the days and weeks to come i'm going to try to mention those issues on this blog as i learn more about them.
one important thing to understand is that the health care legislation is still evolving, it is changing almost on a day to day basis during this reconciliation process and i think its safe to say that many of the governmetn officials working on it aren't sure exactly how it will all play out.
My understanding is the the meat of the changes taking place to the industry won't take place until 2014. That is when insurance companies will not be able to deny people based on pre existing conditions. This is a big deal!. It is also the year that the mandate that all people purchase health insurance will be in effect, i learned today there are certain exceptions to this rule ( people who just can't afford it, prisoners (seriously) and such). This is also the year when state based insurance exchanges will be put into effect. These will provide exchanges, (much like the function of brokers today.....me) that will help people navigate this maze and find the right health plan for their needs. I'm not real sure what the difference between these planned exchanges will be and what we currently have with health insurance brokers, this is what i do already. In fact there are exchanges (brokers) all over the place. So again, not sure exactly what the need is for this but hey, i'm not in charge....just seems like a waste of our tax dollars if you ask me. Brokers and agents have been performing this function for years. Between now and 2014 we will see gradual changes in the health insurance industry. Some of it has to do with employer sponsored plans, some of it has to do with sudsidies, and many more.
i'm going to do my best to stay informed on this subject. Understand this is very complicated,
...more to come,

today lets talk about COBRA coverage. COBRA is a continuation of benefits that occurs when you leave a job with a company or get laid off. This is assuming the company you worked for offerred group health insurance benefits and you participated in the plan. COBRA is a very expensive way to go. Here is an example: Jim Bob has been working for a large medical supplies distributor for a few years. He has a wife and 2 children. Jim pays $300 a month for a very good medical plan offered by the company, his family enjoys low co-pays, low deductibles, and all around excellent medical care. One day, Jim goes into work and is told he is getting laid off due to the bad economy. He is told that he can get COBRA and keep his family insured on the same plan......at a price of $1200 a month. Wait a minute!! No one told Jim that the entire time he has working for the medical supplies company they were contributing to the monthly cost of his health insurance. Now that Jim is no longer with the company, guess what, no more contribution from the company to the cost of his plan. Jim was getting $1200 a month worth of medical insurance while only paying $300 a month, his company was picking up the rest of the tab. Now Jim is forced to pay the $1200 a month COBRA premium if he wants to keep his plan. Jim is out of work and has no money.........Jim has a problem. Luckily, there is another way to go. As long as everyone is Jim's family is reasonable healthy, they will qualify for a plan on the open market. This will give them comparable benefits and save them hundreds of dollars on a monthly basis.
If you are on COBRA and can qualify for an individual health insurance plan you are paying more than you have to.

I represent all of the major health insurance companies in Florida.

My name is Ryan White, i am an independent insurance professional in the state of florida. I've been selling individual health insurance for the past 3 years.