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Surviving the Fourth Quarter Frenzy

For agents and brokers, the fourth quarter of the year—marked by countless renewals, new enrollments, and client interactions—can feel like a whirlwind. With the overlap of the Annual Election Period for Medicare beneficiaries, the individual open enrollment period, and the most popular renewal time for group clients, managing time effectively and maintaining efficiency becomes crucial. So how can agents navigate this busy season, ensuring they meet their clients' needs without compromising their own well-being?
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Premium Tax Credit Calculators

If you sell individual health insurance plans, then you no doubt know about the enhanced premium tax credits available through the end of 2025. During COVID, the tax credits were increased and the subsidy cliff (the 400% income level after which tax credits are not longer available) was eliminated for two years; these enhanced credits were later extended for an additional two years.
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Finding the Best Medicare Plan for Your Clients

The Annual Election Period (AEP) is an important time of year for both insurance agents and the clients they serve. The AEP provides clients with an opportunity to review, assess, and make informed choices about their Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans. Unfortunately, many clients view this more as a chore than an opportunity because they are bombarded with ads on TV and by mail and the number of options can make the entire process seem overwhelming.
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Individual Plan Offerings in 2024

As you probably know, 2023 saw the introduction of several “standardized” individual health plans designed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The 2023 Marketplace Rule from HHS required health insurers to offer “standardized QHP options designed by HHS at every product network type…, metal level, and throughout every service area that they offer non-standardized QHP options.” At the time, HHS “did not propose to limit the number of non-standardized plan options that issuers can offer but noted that” the Department would consider “whether it would be appropriate to do so in a future plan year.”
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DACA Recipients Could Soon Be Eligible for Premium Tax Credits

There are more than 800,000 DACA recipients in the United States. DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created by executive order during the Obama Administration and allows certain undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children to temporarily stay in the country, obtain work permits, and be protected from deportation.
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Medicare Part D Premiums and Out-of-Pocket Limits for 2024

As we head into the Annual Election Period (AEP), there are several big changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program that you will want to make sure your clients know about.
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Changes to Medicare Effective Dates

We want to point out a couple big changes to the Medicare effective dates for people who sign up during their Initial Enrollment Period (which begins three months before the month they turn 65 and ends three months after they turn 65) or during the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31 each year). These changes went into effect beginning in 2023 and are detailed on this page of the Medicare.gov website.
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HSA and ACA Limits for 2024

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the 2024 deductible, out-of-pocket, and contribution limits for Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Here they are:
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Understanding Disability Income Insurance

As a health insurance agent, you play an integral role in helping individuals secure a variety of health insurance and ancillary benefits. But one type of coverage that’s often overlooked by agents is disability income insurance. According to Mutual of Omaha, “51 million working adults in the U.S. don’t have disability income coverage,” while only 40 percent of households have sufficient liquid savings to cover three months of expenses. An even more shocking statistic is that “one in four workers can expect to be out of work for at least a year” due to a disabling condition before retirement age. Clearly, the need is real.
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Tobacco Use: How Big of a Factor Is It?

A recent article in the Virginia Mercury caught our attention. It seems that Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin supports legislation to eliminate higher premiums for tobacco users in the state. The practice of rating health insurance policies for tobacco use has been a contentious issue in recent years, and Governor Youngkin’s about face on this issue has reignited the debate surrounding this practice.
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