Health Insurance Recommendations Needed

For every family that is self-employed finding insurance for 2018 has become even more difficult with Blue Cross Blue Shield dropping out of metro Atlanta.  It seems as if Kaiser could be the only traditional insurance offering for the self-employed.  I’m hearing good things about Liberty Healthshare as an alternative to traditional insurance.

My family has been very happy with the advice from Argyll Insurance (404-542-1476 or john@argyllinsurance.com) for the past few years but I also think it is wise to solicit advice from the community.

Do you have thoughts on this?  Any good advice?  Any other insurance broker that you recommend?

The last time I asked for Health Insurance Broker recommendations was 2010 so I believe it is time to update this list.  Want to see the old list?  Click here. 

Have advice or recommendations to share?  Please leave a comment!

November 1st, 2017 Category: Community News, Recommendations Tagged: 16 Comments

16 thoughts on “Health Insurance Recommendations Needed”

  1. Audra – We are in the same boat with insurance. I have been using Holly Conley at Insurance Now for the past few years. 770-396-9517. She has been very helpful. It is also worth noting, not only have the insurance options dropped to next to nothing, but the insurance brokers used to be paid a commission by the insurance companies. They don’t get that anymore, so most are now charging a fee to the customer.

  2. I just went online and started the application process. I am very disappointed to find that the only options available are HMOs and the rates are higher than what we paid this year for our PPO plan. I can’t believe that I am required by law to choose one of these plans. 🙁

  3. First hand experience working with Terri Potter, Owner of Georgia Health Insurance, who is the most knowledgeable and helpful insurance professional I’ve ever worked with. Having been in business for decades, the success of Terri and her team is no surprise.

  4. We absolutely love Medi-Share with MyChristianCare.org. Our family deductible is 2500 for the year and our monthly premium is just over $500. My husband had a major medical issue this year and they paid everything before the bills even made it to us. They are such a pleasure to work with!

  5. We left traditional insurance a year ago. We had been through the process of brokers and different insurance options. Could not afford it anymore. There are a few medical sharing opportunities out there. We went with Samaritan’s Ministries. You can google to get their website. Another one is Medi Share. We have been very happy with Samaritan Ministries. Researching these different medical sharing opportunities will let you see and pick options that best fit your family.

  10. I think the only thing an insurance broker can tell you is what is the lesser of 2 evils…since their are really only 2 options and neither are good. I have contacted my primary care and they (and many others) provide discounted self pay rates which are less than they charge insurance companies. With deductables so high and with so few doctor choices, I will probably pay out of pocket for routine care.

  11. Thanks Audra. We’re dealing with the same issues. Georgia State Bar (attorneys) has an exchange we have used the last couple of years, but it’s hard to get hold of an agent — I may try one of the brokers I have seen recommended here.

  12. the premiums shown in GA bar and exchange were $2,000/mo for us. This is ridiculous. Anyone interested in forming a small legit company in Dunwoody with me and we apply for group term insurance? I am a CPA and attorney.
    cgoldberg@bellsouth.net

  13. We are self-employed and have lived through Aetna leaving individual market and now BCBSGA. I have several friends who love MediShare so we are going that route and will save over $900/mo in premiums with lower deductibles! For those of you planning to use Obamacare or Affordable Care Act plans, ask your doctors if they accept them. Most of our doctors have signs up in their offices that state the do not participate.

  14. I actually found an alternative that looks promising. Liberty Healthcare is a medical cost sharing company. They qualify for the ACA healthcare exception, so you pay no penalties. A family pays about $424 per month and there is a $1500 deductible for family. Its cheaper for single people While they call themselves a ministry to comply with Obamacare exception, they accept Jewish People and Jews are members to get the healthcare coverage. You just have to sign off on their ethical beliefs as stated in the following link https://blog.libertyhealthshare.org/blog/liberty-healthshare-member-beliefs
    Definitely worth checking this one out whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim.

  16. Below is what my insurance broker advised. BlueCross, Aetna, Coventry, Humana, UHC, and a few other smaller carriers are out of the business. Period. We are left with Kaiser as the option for the Atlanta metro area. You’re eligible to apply for Kaiser Permanente for Individuals and Families (KPIF) coverage if you live in one of the following counties: Bartow, Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Paulding, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, or Walton. Kaiser Permanente is the only viable option for ACA (Affordable Care Act) / “off exchange” plans here in Atlanta. When I say “off exchange,” I am talking about everyone that has a health insurance policy that DOES NOT RECEIVE a subsidy via Healthcare.gov. We are considering MediShare, Kaiser is expensive and you cant see your doctor, unless they are Kaiser provider.

Write a Reply or Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *