This was originally published in the Lynn Haven Ledger as part of The Rebecca Series for insurance
This had to be one of the worst websites Rebecca had ever tried to use. It was all so confusing! She could feel her blood pressure rising along with the frustration she felt. She took a deep breath, paused for a few seconds, closed her eyes, then stood up and walked away.
A steaming cup of herbal tea, that’s what she needed! The citrus aroma helped calm her nerves enough for her to remember that her insurance agent Audrey would certainly take care of this for her.
A couple of days later, Rebecca found herself sitting in the familiar comfortable chair in Audrey’s always friendly office. She already felt better.
As Audrey got her settled in, she asked how Derek and Suzanne were doing in school, and how Rebecca was really handling all the changes that had happened over the past year. Rebecca and her mom were getting along so well, it was turning out to be a very nice transition, even if it was for only a few months. “You know, Audrey, even though I miss Roger every single day, I’m enjoying the new direction our lives are taking”, said Rebecca, with just a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
After the small talk was out of the way, Rebecca described to Audrey her fruitless attempt to sign her and the kids up with health insurance through the Marketplace. “Everyone has trouble with that site”, Audrey assured her. There were too many plans to choose from and terms like co-pay and co-insurance that were difficult to understand. And the deductibles – there were so high!
“We’re going to find you the plan that fits your lifestyle and budget best”, said Audrey. “It’s not about what is necessarily the cheapest. We have to make sure your doctor is in the network, your deductible won’t be astronomical, and that it covers prescriptions from day one.”
Audrey told Rebecca about some of the struggles other customers of hers had experienced trying to use the Marketplace website on their own. “The 1-800 number is awful!” said Audrey. “The customer service reps are just reading from scripts and aren’t able to help at all.”
Audrey, on the other hand, was so knowledgeable she was able to answer all of Rebecca’s questions and address all of her concerns. Even though she was healthy, the kids sometimes had to see the doctor, and a couple of years ago Derek had broken his leg in an accident, so she wanted to make sure they had all the coverage they would need for any eventuality.
At the end of their meeting, Rebecca’s stress was gone. She was signed up for a plan she could afford, knowing she was taking excellent care of her children’s health. She knew Roger would be proud.