Many internet savvy consumers would definitely say YES without even a second thought. However, we at First Eagle Insurance Services, a well known California based health insurance agency, with over 25 years of experience in health insurance have a different professional opinion.
As a true technology believer, and the principal of First Eagle Insurance Services, I agree that internet is a great tool for consumers to educate themselves. And when it comes to purchasing, internet helps consumers make their purchases smooth and painless. At the same time, I strongly recommend a careful consideration when it comes to signing up a legal binding contract, like a health insurance policy, without an expert opinion from a knowledgeable licensed insurance specialist.
These days there are many popular health insurance websites that have been creative enough to come up with all types of internet recourses to get the consumer purchase health insurance policy without human intervention. And many internet savvy consumers buy their health insurance plans through these websites - without even conversing to a live person. This method has become a great money making machine for the creators of those websites. However, THE BIG QUESTION IS - is this THE BEST way for the consumers to get their health insurance policy?
Consumers believe that by eliminating the middleman and going online for their purchases, they can save money and avoid the high pressure of the sales situations, at the same time having the ability to compare the offered products and services with their price comparison tools online. Even though this concept may well work with some tangible products, it can be DISASTROUS when it comes to choosing the right health insurance plan, UNLESS you are an export in the health insurance field. You will be faced with hard-to-answer questions like: Which health insurance plan to choose? How much deductable? How much maximum out of pocket limit? What kind of ‘prescription drugs’ coverage? Should I get basic major medical plan or more comprehensive plan? Should I get HMO, PPO, POS or HSA type plan? Should I include dental or vision coverage? For seniors – should they get a Medicare supplement, Medicare advantage or FFS plan? and so on… Each individual case is different. Questions are endless and to best answer these questions one must have a knowledgeable health insurance agent on his or her side.
The secret is that insurance companies charge the same premium whether or not you buy direct from them or through an insurance agent. And the reason behind this is that, through many years of research, insurance companies have discovered that the best method for marketing their products and serving the consumer properly is to have a licensed insurance specialist help the consumer in making their health insurance choices.
There are hundreds of health insurance policies offered by health insurance companies in health insurance industry. Each one of these policies is a contract, consisting of several pages of coverage details, exclusions, limitations, etc… And anyone with the right mind will agree that sorting through these contracts can be an overwhelming task for an average consumer. And when a contract is put in force, the parties involved agree to the terms and conditions of the contract. In a health insurance contract, the health insurance company, who is one of the parties involved, obviously knows what is included in that contract. However, would the average consumer know the content of the entire contract, and would they know if there where better health insurance contracts somewhere else? Over 25 years of our experience shows that in vast majority of cases the answer is NO. Without having an expert help, the average consumer does not know the vital details of their contract, and in some cases there are other health insurance products that would better fit the consumer’s need. And yet some consumers do not benefit from this help when it does not even cost an extra penny to them!
On the other hand, it is very common for health insurance companies to come up with new health insurance plans and policies, almost every single year. In many cases it would be much beneficial for the consumer to switch from his/her existing plan to a newly created one. This is why it is highly recommended to spend some time with your insurance agent every single year, be it in person or over the phone, and find out if it is to your best interest to continue your existing policy or if you should consider switching to a new one. This is why it is imperative to work with a knowledgeable licensed insurance specialist who knows hundreds of existing and dozens of newly created products of the health insurance companies; who is serious enough to put time to learn all the details of the pros and cons of every single plan and to help consumers make the right choice for their needs.
Consumers can use internet in their benefit but should never isolate themselves by the internet and refuse to get the help available in addition to the internet, specially, when that help is FREE OF CHARGE. You can spend hundreds of hours of your valuable time looking for information on the internet and sometimes you will be surprised of the value of information you would be missing for not making that one phone call and for not conversing to a live knowledgeable specialist to get that valuable information.
At First Eagle Insurance Services we believe that internet is a major cornerstone of any successful insurance organization, and they should have every possible tool on their websites to better serve consumers. And consumers should never forget the value of having a knowledgeable licensed insurance specialist on their side. Consumers who work with agents know that a knowledgeable insurance agent has the expertise to help make the right choice.
So, contact your health insurance agent or if you don’t have one, feel free to call First Eagle Insurance Services at (877) 447-4999 and discuss your health insurance needs with our friendly and knowledgeable licensed agents. Meanwhile, you may prefer to visit our corporate website at HealthInsurancePlansInfo.com to benefit from numerous tools and services prior to calling us for live assistance.
We strive to get the best health insurance policies for the best interests of our clients, and to be a leader in health insurance industry with our INTEGRITY, RELIABILITY and EXPERIENCE.
Vic Vartanian Principle First Eagle Insurance Services
California
Colorado
Nevada
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