Cheapest States For Assurant, Aetna??

[Crabcake Johnny]

Again, states vary. I write Assurant at 25% with an advance and GR at 25% with an advance. Actually GR pays me better renewals so I actually end up making more money when I write a GR deal than Assurant.

Again, in MD GR butchers people with pre-existing conditions and people who are on meds. That's 85% of my business since I only target business owners who are typically in their late 40's to late 50's. I have bad luck getting any of them to sign riders since they currently have plans that cover them in full. You think I'm landing a deal with a 55 year old family of four - currently covered and I'm telling them hypertension isn't covered and neither are their meds? Lol. Yeah...right.

Over the past years I've seen that it's only Assurant that can keep clients happy and on the books since they have a myriad of options at renewal plus the healthy discount. Also remember that in MD Golden Rule ditched the local network that almost everyone uses. They went exclusively with their national network which is far less dense in this state.

And I have my clients take that rate-up for meds any day of the week instead of having GR erase ALL drug coverage.

And by the way, GR must be struggling since my broker manager calls me BEGGING me for business all the time. It's quite sad.

They offer no maternity benefit here and in states where they do it's the world's worst benefits. The Assurant maternity bene is quite good. I'm also a huge fan of Suite Solutions with the accident protection - it's an insane benefit.

Also with GR women have NO COVERAGE for anything relating to their reproductive system for six months. No way! So go call GR and ask what happens of a women gets diagnosed with ovarian cancer 5 months after the plan started. They would not give me a straight answer on the phone and kept passing me from person to peron. Survery says? ERRRRRRRR!

 

[somarco]

Most of the generalizations are based on your personal experience. Mine is different with GR and with Time.

A carrier has to EARN my business and GR has done so. I have been in this business for a long time & I dont give business to just anyone who comes knocking.

As I have stated before, I was not warm to GR when they returned to GA. Before they left the joke was, if you could walk on water and feed the multitudes from a lunch pail you MIGHT be issued standard.

I have been quite pleased with their approach to business and it has worked out well for both of us.

Last year early on World came courting. I gave them ample opportunity to earn my business but they fell short. I probably wrote $80k with them over the course of the year. Just enough to say we are on speaking terms but not enough to make them a major player.

Honestly, I am surprised the relationship with GR has grown as it has. Something I did not expect.

I recommend plans that I would buy & I have no difficulty recommending a plan with a rider when it makes sense. Rate ups are just not worth it most of the time, but there are exceptions.

I see no sense in debating this further. What works for me wont work for you & vice versa.

If I lived in MD I might be doing business with different carriers from what I use in GA but I live in the peach state and make a good living doing what I can.

Just got a referral a few minutes ago via email. They will probably go with KP or possibly Aetna. Wont know for sure until I get more details. GR is a third possibility then World or Time if the first 3 dont pan out. I am probably going to push KP simply because that is the plan I would take if I were them.

take care,

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

As brokers who have lasted as indepedents for years by default we choose carriers where our clients are happy. In different states those will be different carriers. No broker can make a living in the business - at least not for any length of time - by writing with an uncompetitive carrier or one where clients don't stay on the books. It's almost impossible to discuss and compare carriers in different states. Safe to say we can close the discussion that each of us puts the client first and that's all that counts.

 

[taterpeeler]

Good...... Can we get back to my question of price in other states and now just as important..... if you lived in PA, IL, VA...... which plans work best based on price, quality and underwriting. It seems that those states work best for Assurant(base on prior post). Any feedback on experiences in those states or any other states would be helpfull. I am rolling out a new marketing plan that I discovered and will need additional states for it to work, Texas is just to damn expensive for Assurant.

cfp

 

[J.R.]

Good...... Can we get back to my question of price in other states and now just as important..... if you lived in PA, IL, VA...... which plans work best based on price, quality and underwriting. It seems that those states work best for Assurant(base on prior post). Any feedback on experiences in those states or any other states would be helpfull. I am rolling out a new marketing plan that I discovered and will need additional states for it to work, Texas is just to damn expensive for Assurant.

cfp

What carriers are your top 2 in Texas, and what criteria do you use?

 

[taterpeeler]

Aetna, Unicare.... Based on price, and benefit configuration. For underwriting ease its Aetna, For hsa Unicare is strong although underwriting can be a whip, APS on every app. Aetna has no customer service..... NONE!! Long ago it was World Express-Med and Fortis, then FSL came into the mix... but right now Aetna, Unicare, FSL, Assurant, GR, World, ANLIC, then Humana in that order

 

[Airborne1]

Most of the generalizations are based on your personal experience. Mine is different with GR and with Time.

A carrier has to EARN my business and GR has done so. I have been in this business for a long time & I dont give business to just anyone who comes knocking.

As I have stated before, I was not warm to GR when they returned to GA. Before they left the joke was, if you could walk on water and feed the multitudes from a lunch pail you MIGHT be issued standard.

I have been quite pleased with their approach to business and it has worked out well for both of us.

Last year early on World came courting. I gave them ample opportunity to earn my business but they fell short. I probably wrote $80k with them over the course of the year. Just enough to say we are on speaking terms but not enough to make them a major player.

Honestly, I am surprised the relationship with GR has grown as it has. Something I did not expect.

I recommend plans that I would buy & I have no difficulty recommending a plan with a rider when it makes sense. Rate ups are just not worth it most of the time, but there are exceptions.

I see no sense in debating this further. What works for me wont work for you & vice versa.

If I lived in MD I might be doing business with different carriers from what I use in GA but I live in the peach state and make a good living doing what I can.

Just got a referral a few minutes ago via email. They will probably go with KP or possibly Aetna. Wont know for sure until I get more details. GR is a third possibility then World or Time if the first 3 dont pan out. I am probably going to push KP simply because that is the plan I would take if I were them.

take care,

Somarco,

Can you elaborate on your negative experiences with World ?

 

[somarco]

I wouldn't say it was negative, just middle of the pack.

Underwriting is nothing to write home about. Rates are OK on some plans, not so on other. Although I am appointed thru AHU their Freedom Care series is not that attractive so I usually write the Flex plans.

Until Time came out with higher deductibles I was using them for $10k and higher, no copay. Have a few $25k on the books with World. One in underwriting now. Their price point is good for Flex at $5k and higher. Nothing else is very exciting.

My preference is to use KP but it isn't always a good fit. After that I look to GR. World comes in to the mix from time to time, mostly with $5k and up. Not very competitive under $5k and their Freedom Care series lack sizzle.

 

[Mike_Golden1]

Again, states vary. I write Assurant at 25% with an advance and GR at 25% with an advance. Actually GR pays me better renewals so I actually end up making more money when I write a GR deal than Assurant.

Again, in MD GR butchers people with pre-existing conditions and people who are on meds. That's 85% of my business since I only target business owners who are typically in their late 40's to late 50's. I have bad luck getting any of them to sign riders since they currently have plans that cover them in full. You think I'm landing a deal with a 55 year old family of four - currently covered and I'm telling them hypertension isn't covered and neither are their meds? Lol. Yeah...right.

Over the past years I've seen that it's only Assurant that can keep clients happy and on the books since they have a myriad of options at renewal plus the healthy discount. Also remember that in MD Golden Rule ditched the local network that almost everyone uses. They went exclusively with their national network which is far less dense in this state.

And I have my clients take that rate-up for meds any day of the week instead of having GR erase ALL drug coverage.

And by the way, GR must be struggling since my broker manager calls me BEGGING me for business all the time. It's quite sad.

They offer no maternity benefit here and in states where they do it's the world's worst benefits. The Assurant maternity bene is quite good. I'm also a huge fan of Suite Solutions with the accident protection - it's an insane benefit.

Also with GR women have NO COVERAGE for anything relating to their reproductive system for six months. No way! So go call GR and ask what happens of a women gets diagnosed with ovarian cancer 5 months after the plan started. They would not give me a straight answer on the phone and kept passing me from person to peron. Survery says? ERRRRRRRR!

I'll agree with John that Assurant is first rate in almost every way EXCEPT their HSA plans in Florida are much higher in premium than GR. The MaxPlan is a great, great plan though, and offers first year, first dollar wellness benefits that make it very attractive for anyone used to paying for a Cobra plan or a high priced family plan.

I know John has had problems with Golden Rule underwriting but I just applied for a Golden Rule Copay 35 plan for myself and was approved in 48 hours, that's awfully quick, isn't it? Maybe it's because I haven't had anything wrong with me (no meds either) in a very, very long time (and I'm 59, almost 60)

 

[somarco]

I can't recall when I have sold a copay plan (other than KP and that is virtually all they offer). But KP is a special situation carrier (at least for me).

Other than KP, I might have sold 10 copay plans last year and most were on children. One plan with Blue had copays, but no way to take them out. The couple wanted maternity & Blue was the only choice.

Of the non-copay plans, probably 40% were HSA's and the rest the Plan 100 with GR or something very similar. I also used World for HD plans (not just HSA), particularly at the $10,000 SIR and higher.

Now that Time has a HD plan (up to $25k) I may have an opportunity to use them as well although they are not as competitive as World on the $10k+ SIRS.

I have had very quick turn around from GR, more consistently than with other carriers and fewer APS' which always make the process a pain in the butt.