Personal Insurance
Individual and family health coverage, explained.
Health insurance is where the jargon is worst and the stakes are highest. We help you compare plans on the things that actually work out what you will pay.
Why An Independent Agent
The premium is not the price.
Most people compare health plans by looking at the monthly premium alone. That is the least reliable way to guess what a plan will actually cost you. The deductible, the out-of-pocket maximum, the network of doctors, and the drug list usually matter more, and that is where we spend our time with you.
Coverage
What we commonly place
Not every item applies to every situation. Part of our job is telling you which ones actually matter for you.
- Individual and family major medical plans
- Marketplace and off-marketplace options
- Short-term and gap coverage where allowed
- Dental plans
- Vision plans
- Accident and critical illness supplements
- Hospital indemnity plans
- Medicare supplement guidance
- Small group employer plans
In Detail
The parts worth understanding
Every plan comes down to four figures. Compare these before anything else:
- Premium. What you pay monthly whether or not you use it
- Deductible. What you pay before most coverage starts
- Copays and coinsurance, your share after the deductible
- Out-of-pocket maximum, the true ceiling in a bad year
The out-of-pocket maximum is the number that matters most in a genuine emergency, and it is the one people look at last.
A plan is only as good as its network in the place you actually live.
Before enrolling, check that your current physicians are in network, that the hospital system you would want to use is included, and that there is reasonable specialist access near you. In Oregon this varies meaningfully between the Portland metro and more rural parts of the state.
Out-of-network care is where the largest unexpected bills come from.
Health coverage runs on a calendar that does not care how you feel about it.
Open enrollment is the annual window when anyone can enroll or change plans. Outside it you generally need a qualifying life event. Losing employer coverage, marriage or divorce, a birth or adoption, or a move that changes your available plans, which opens a limited special enrollment period.
Those windows are short. If something has changed, call us promptly rather than at the end of the month.
Local Knowledge
Oregon and Washington run different marketplaces.
Oregon and Washington run separate health insurance marketplaces, with different carriers, different plans, and different doctor networks. If you live in Vancouver and work in Portland, or you just moved across the river, that difference decides which plans you can actually buy.
A note on scope. Health insurance works differently from home and auto insurance, and the rules change by state. Call us to confirm exactly what we can offer you right now before you make any decisions based on this page.
Lisa and Keith answer the phone here. No call center, no robots. Just North Portland neighbors helping neighbors.
The Process
Is this difficult? Not with us.
Tell us about your situation
A few quick details about what you are insuring and what you have now.
We compare carriers
We shop multiple companies to find the best combination of coverage and price.
You get a clear recommendation
Straight answers, in plain language, and often same-day coverage.
Questions
Health insurance questions
What is an out-of-pocket maximum?
The most you will pay in a plan year for covered in-network care. After you reach it, the plan pays 100% of covered services. It is the number that matters most in a serious year.
When can I enroll in a health plan?
During annual open enrollment, or during a special enrollment period triggered by a qualifying life event such as losing employer coverage, marriage, a birth, or a move.
Is a lower premium plan cheaper?
Not necessarily. Low-premium plans usually carry higher deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, so a year with real medical needs can cost a lot more overall.
Do you handle Medicare?
We can point you in the right direction on Medicare supplement questions. Call us to confirm what we can right now place.
Related coverage
Get your free health insurance quote.
We respond the same day whenever possible.