What should I cover with a client who lost employer coverage?
The Department of Labor reported that 20.1 million Americans filed unemployment claims in April, and an estimated 9.2 million lost their employer-sponsored health insurance.
From our April 2020 Pulse of the ACA Market Report, 29% of Agent and Broker respondents report that clients are reaching out to ask questions about their coverage options without enrolling.
To save you time, we created a document you can share with potential clients that compares COBRA, Marketplace insurance, Medicaid, Short Term Health Plans, and Health Care Sharing Ministries.
Get a copy of the Health Insurance Options guide for your client.
Important information for newly uninsured clients
Laid-off Workers Face Foreign World of Insurance Shopping (April 29, 2019):
“After being laid off April 1, Dianne Waldorf spent about an hour and a half bouncing between websites and trying to figure out whether she qualified for Medicaid or if she should just buy individual insurance. The 54-year-old Boca Raton, Florida, resident needed coverage to deal with some health problems, including a brain aneurysm that doctors are monitoring.
But she got so frustrated she wondered whether she should continue.
“There’s so many different options available, and they ask you so many questions,” she said. “You just get overwhelmed.”
For clients like Dianne, it’s important to give a brief, but comprehensive, overview of health insurance options. You can cover all of the bases when explaining the differences between COBRA, Marketplace plans, Medicaid, Short Term plans, and Health Care Sharing Ministries:
- What is it?
- Who is eligible?
- What are average premium costs?
- When can clients enroll?
- Does the option include the following consumer protections: is it insurance, does it have to cover pre-existing conditions, does it have to cap out-of-pocket costs, and is it not allowed to have lifetime or annual benefit caps.
- Which options must cover the 10 essential health benefits?
- Will COVID-19 testing be covered?
- Will COVID-19 treatment be covered?
- Potential downsides to each option.
How our Health Insurance Options guide can save you time
After a call, one of the highest value things you can do to make a lasting impression is to follow up with a relevant resource.
You can use our comparison of health insurance options after losing employer coverage to establish yourself as a trusted source of information to these potential clients.
Here’s an email template you can use after your call:
Subject Line: Call follow up — your health coverage options
Hello [%FIRSTNAME%],
Thank you for giving me a call earlier today, and I’m glad you found our conversation helpful.
I’ve attached a document that compares the 5 main individual coverage options: COBRA, Marketplace insurance, Medicaid, Short Term plans and Health Care Sharing Ministries. Generally speaking, Marketplace or Medicaid health insurance will be the most affordable and comprehensive coverage.
Keep in mind that you have 60 days after your health coverage ends to enroll in COBRA or a Marketplace plan. If you have any questions or want assistance with your enrollment, I am here to help.
Sincerely,
[Agent Name]
Click this link to get your copy of the Health Insurance Options guide, save yourself time, and convey that you are available to educate your potential client at the same time.
Get started with SEP enrollments today
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