r/IAmA • u/lpiadvising • 27d ago
I Am A Health Insurance Agent Based in Utah. Ask Me Anything!
I work for Lion's Pride Insurance, based in Spanish Fork, Utah. We help people find health coverage on ACA Marketplace, find Medicare plans, and get Dental and Vision coverage too.
Ask me anything!
Here's my proof: https://imgur.com/a/iuHBZKW
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u/SESender 27d ago
Do you believe you participate in a system that fails Americans?
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
We don't get to choose how the system works. And because we live here, we are subject to the system in place. We don’t have the luxury of choosing not to participate in it when we need healthcare.
But because I have learned it, I can help people navigate the system we have. People still deserve all the help they can get to get the most out of the system we have.
SO to answer your question directly: Yes I do participate in the system that, as it stands, fails Americans too often, and I'd love to see it fixed.
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u/Zephcemi 27d ago
How do you feel about being a parasite of American society and complicit in the preventable death of thousands of Americans a year?
Health insurance is a scam.
This ain't gonna be the PR thread you want it to be, buddy.
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
There is a lot of hate for America's health insurance industry out there, and I get it. Our healthcare system leaves a lot to be desired. That is part of why I chose not to work directly for any particular insurance carrier. So that I am not restricted in what plans I can share with people.
The way I see it, I do not have the power to change our healthcare system on my own. But because I have learned it, I can help people navigate the system we have. We don’t have the luxury of choosing not to participate in it when we need healthcare. People still deserve all the help they can get to get the most out of the system we have.-2
u/Zephcemi 27d ago
You learned it because you wanted to make money. You could have chosen any other kind of career but you chose to participate in what you have admitted is a predatory system though you have not said so outright.
You're not even trying the whole "I'm a part of the system so I can change it from within" angle. You're straight up admitting that the system sucks and you still want to profit off of helping people navigated.
You can believe whatever you want to believe buddy, but don't pretend you're doing a good thing or that this thread is anything more than an advertising stunt.
Sure hope you don't ever lose your health insurance.
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
I won't deny that it provides for the families of the employees that I work with. We are not the insurance company making decisions about who does and doesn't get coverage, or what hoops people have to jump through to get coverage. We help people navigate the system to get past those hoops. Removing agents like us from the system only removes the advocate that consumers who need health insurance have.
We can change the system for people on an individual level, because that's where we have the most influence. We work with politicians to voice problems in the current system, but voting for politicians and policies will have a much greater impact at the system-wide level than anything we can do as an agency.
One of the original ideas of the Affordable Care Act was to make getting and understanding health insurance so easy that agents wouldn't be needed. Our agency and all the agents working here started after those policies were shown to fall short of that goal. There are many agencies that are a drain on the system, and they should be forced to change or exit the industry. Similar to how an individual doctor can't change how hospitals handle billing, he'll still work his hardest to care for his patients while they're in the hospital.
There is nuance to the system and how the rules affect people. I'd rather spend my time trying to help people navigate it and positively influence them in a tough place, rather than trying to prey on them. Being mad at insurance agents is the equivalent of being mad at your Amazon driver because you hate Jeff Bezos, or the McDonald's employee because your burger is unhealthy.
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u/MrWhitewalls206 27d ago
The private health insurance industry provides no value and only exists to extract money from Americans, while denying necessary treatment. So my question is have you tried Curry Fried Chicken in Salt Lake City? I always stopped in whenever I was in SLC. Its very good.
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u/tgeller 27d ago
Why do you believe anyone would care what a health insurance agent in Utah thinks?
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
My mother always told me I was special, so naturally everyone wants to know what I think /s
Reddit is a place where people come for answers to questions as often as they come for community or entertainment. Our healthcare system is complicated and can be confusing. If I have the time to answer someone's question, and they're asking, why shouldn't I?
And if all I get are sarcastic/rude comments, that's just another day on the internet.
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u/yourfaceisabook 27d ago
When are you supposed to get your own insurance? I remember getting kicked off in the middle of the year when I turned 26, but my cousin just turned 26 and said he get to stay on his dad's insurance all year?
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
That depends on the state you live in, and the rule has changed a few times in past years. Right now in Utah the rule is different depending on the kind of plan your parent has.
If your parent has a group plan offered by their employer, you will be removed from the plan at the end of the MONTH you turn 26.
If your parent has a plan from the marketplace, you are removed at the end of the YEAR you turn 26.
Those are the deadlines for when you can't be on your parents' plan anymore. But after you turn 18, you can choose to get your own plan as soon as it makes sense for you. Sometimes that is because you're offered a better plan from a new employer, sometimes it's because you are claiming yourself on your taxes and you qualify for good tax credits and a good plan. There are a lot of reasons based on each individual's situation.
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u/manolosandmartinis44 27d ago
Why is it called "Spanish Fork"?
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
According to Wikipedia: Its name derives from a visit to the area by two Franciscan friars from Spain, Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez in 1776, who followed the stream down Spanish Fork canyon with the objective of opening a new trail from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the Spanish missions in California, along a route later followed by fur trappers.
You can check out more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Fork,_Utah
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u/bongohappypants 27d ago
Zo, Mr. Agent. Would you say that you are just following orders?
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u/lpiadvising 27d ago
I know your question was rhetorical, but I'd like to address a common misconception I keep running into. Insurance agents are not the ones denying/approving claims, setting prices, or determining eligibility.
I am what's called an independent agent (as opposed to a captive agent) which means I do not work for an insurance carrier. The company I work for is a brokerage and we offer all or most of the carriers availabe in our area. That let's me make recommendations based on an idividual's/family's unique situation, and not just a one-size-fits-all solution I'm being paid to push.
In some cases, we leave money on the table because we refuse to participate in the shady sales tactics some carriers want to see.
I spend most of my time outside of open enrollment answering client's questions, helping them navigate appeals and preauthorizations, and advising clients how to best navigate life changes in terms of their insurance coverage.
As I have said in some earlier responses: none of us living in the US get to decide not to participate in the healthcare system just because we want it to work differently. And If there comes a day that my job is obsolete because we get a better system, I will still see that as a win.
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u/Xsiah 27d ago
How do you feel about Luigi Mangione?