Suzilla: Family Business Podcast

Health Insurance can have network holes, how to fill in the gaps with Travel insurance and other tactics.

If you have healthcare then you have to be aware of your network.  Will your plan cover you in the next county, next state or outside of the country? How do you fill in the gaps? We have been doing that for the last 8 years (7 for Suzie).

Who makes these network decisions and drives up costs? We get into some of the mechanics of cost.

As Suzie Health Solutions, we have been working on Health Insurance, Medicare, and travel insurance for a couple of years. We wrote our first travel policy in almost a year last week so we know that there is going to be a demand to cover narrow networks in 2021.

What new plans do you have for a new year?

Suzie and Matt, who run Suzie Health Solutions talk about plans moving forward. 

1. The importance of life insurance. Get a term policy if you haven't. 

2. The importance of local media including social media for 2021.

3. The importance of  local artists when possible. 

4. Heads up on building local businesses and support networks. 

 

We made it through 2020 and still managed to grow because of long term planning. We will continue to apply long term planning in 2021 to create a better year and years moving forward. 

Be fierce not aggressive for 2021

Despite 2020 being a tough year, Suzie Health Solutions grew another 25% to 30%. How did we do it and what are we going to do to have a similar growth in 2021? Our experiences is telling us that growth for 2021 is more than possible if you are flexible. 

Merry Christmas. Did Covid leave any gifts for 2020?

From Washington State providing Open Healthcare Enrollment until January 15th, 2021, there are still gifts to be had. It has been a struggle, from masks to disinfectant, to toilet paper shortages and curbside pickups . There are gifts to be had. 

 

If you need help with Health Insurance in Washington State then let us know. https://www.wahbroker.org/ 

Health Insurance Basics 2021

We run a Full Service Enrollment Center with the Washington Healthplanfinder. We are seeing some basic questions about the 10 essential health benefits, is this government or private run, what is a broker, etc. We get into the nuts and bolts and break it down as simply as possible if you have any questions then please contact us and we will do our best to answer them at Suzie Health Solutions. 

 

In Washington state we have open enrollment from November 1 through December 15th for plans that start January 1,2021.

with a bonus of December 16th through January 15th for plans that start February 1, 2021. 

Opportunity is created by action

Are you stuck? Your business stuck in COVID-19 lock down? You create opportunity by actions. This episode came out thanks to a few people talking about our Black Friday Special at Suzie Health Solutions. How powerful is it that we are the only Insurance business open to talk about Healthcare and Medicare at 4 AM on Black Friday? Do we get a ton of customers? Not always. Does it set us apart and allow us to have fun decorating the office? Absolutely. 

 

 

Gold versus Silver what is the best plan?

This is Suzie Health Solutions eighth open enrollment helping people without adding fees. We have seen a lot some good some bad. It's time to share.  

With 31 plans and 3 insurance companies this is the time to shop. What is the best plan for me and my family? Should I pay this guy $25 and have him tell me what the best plan is? What is the fastest way to navigate the pitfalls of healthcare?

A gold plan is not always the best plan. Can a healthcare plan come from a recognized company and still be lousy? Where does marketing play out?

It is a great lesson to look at not only healthcare but how you develop business plans. Everyone wants to be the “Cadillac” company however I can be very happy with a Ford or Chevy level of success.

Shopping locally

We run the local enrollment center for Healthcare and we are seeing a flood of folks attempting to pull consumers to supporting alien businesses. For example, one was talking about 'healthplans for Hoosers' and another was out of Tacoma. While I commend their effort as businesspeople, I am also going to call them out for taking money out of our communities. 

Do bussiness when you can with people that you can encounter in the wild. The ones that shop in the same stores and have kids in the same schools. It's how you keep your community strong and vibrant.

Once money leaves the community then resources leave the community. How do we keep our communities healthy and robust? It's where we spend our dollars. While we may have to remain socially distant do not make it permanent by using out of area businesses. 

Election Day 2020. What are the two other things that you can do to improve your life?

These are the three things that I have done during Covid, my career and my life. 

Every year we cast our ballots. Since we work with healthcare in a heavily regulated industry. We study the issues, talk with legislatures and we vote. In Washington state, we mail in our ballots and have an easy way to check our ballot status. If you are not talking politics at the table then you are often the meal. It is important as it shapes our nation and our communities on a larger scale. 

The Second thing to improve is build your support network. Are the people around you building you up or tearing your down? Does everyone think the same, wear the same hat or can they provide additional view points?  What are you doing to support the people around you? Do not confuse being mean with being tough. 

The Third thing to work on is personal development. Can you move or throw a punch? Do you move with confidence? What happens when things start moving out of control? Improve your physical condition so that you have the ablity to move better than you did before. 

If you focus on these three things then you will leave the world better than you found it. 

How do people find my business?

After nearly 10 years of writing insurance, with nearly 8 with Suzie Health Solutions. We took the time out from working with Health insurance and Medicare to talk with our peers. If you dont' have a website and a social media experence then you should be getting one. 

We get into different platforms and marketing. If you have a franchise is someone doing some lifting for your brand? If you are doing unique then tell your story. 

Yes, the entire office smells like Pumpkin Spice.