The Policy Advantage Insurance Services Lion: He’s Got a Name

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Today’s blog post is a “fun” blog post. We’ll do this every once in a while. Instead of talking about insurance and employee benefits, we’ve got some news to share (ie: some “insider” info about our brokerage). We like to keep you up-to-date about what’s going on within the business too.

If you’ve been following along at Twitter (@PolicyAdvantage) you’ll know there have been some recent tweets about our lion having a name. It’s TRUE: we’ve found a really-really good name for him. It fits our theme well. In fact, he’s even got his own .co that we’ll be developing, where you can visit.

So yes… there’s been some buzz. But we have not yet shared his name. There are a couple of different reasons for this:

  1. We’re still in the very early stages of his development (logos, website, his three dimensional design, etc). So he’s not even really a cub yet.
  2. We’re still determining exactly what his role will be. We’ve got a really good idea, but we’re still “fine tuning” things.

You’ll find some further information about this undercover project below.

His biggest goals will be to:

  1. Create a fun & interactive consumer engagement environment.
  2. Share important information about the insurance industry.
  3. Promote Policy Advantage Insurance Services to the public as our front-line icon.

Symbolism of the Lion (and White Lion)

He does represent specific qualities. These qualities are important as an insurance brokerage and every day. Many of these qualities were a big part of the basis behind our original image and logo design:

  • Symbolism of the Lion: courage, wisdom, honor, leadership, loyalty, pride, territorial, generosity, intuition, self-confidence, royalty, dignity, strength, assertiveness, power, justice, authority.
  • Often referred to as the “King of Kings,” white lions are especially rare, and are considered to be divine by many cultures.

Additionally, here are a couple of foundations that he already contributes to:

Question: When will his name be released?

Answer: We’re not sure yet. It could be next week, next month, by the end of 2014, or who knows. Keep checking back (OH the suspense). We do know this: our clients will be the first to hear about it.

Thanks for stopping by, we’re glad that you’re here. Please check back for future updates. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PolicyAdvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PolicyAdvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PolicyAdvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PolicyAdvantage

Word Press: http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

Insurance Brokerage Explained: An “Insurance Store”

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Hi, and welcome back to another blog post here at Policy Advantage Insurance Services. Today we’re explaining the concept of the insurance broker, and how a broker can benefit you as an individual or business.

As explained in one of our past blog posts: “5 Reasons to Give Yourself the Advantage,” we described the different ways that our clients can really benefit from the services of a health benefits broker. Your broker can be a very valuable asset.

So, instead of repeating what we went over in that blog post, we’re going to conceptualize the broker concept in this one. When we say conceptualize, we mean we’ll put it into everyday terms for you.

The first important thing to understand is the actual definition of “broker.” Here it is:

A broker is one that negotiates insurance contracts on behalf of the insured, therefore representing the client’s interest, not the insurer’s.

With that definition on-hand, you now understand that brokers are working in the interest of the client, and not the insurance companies. Two of the biggest goals of an insurance broker:

  1. Help the client save money.
  2. Help the client improve coverage.

If we can achieve both in a single case (whether at the individual or group level), we’ve hit a home run. It’s what we try to do for our clients every single time.

Now, we’ll move on to the conceptualization of the term “broker.” Our goal is to make it familiar to you, by comparing it to everyday things.

So, let’s keep it simple: a broker is really an “insurance store.” It’s just like any other store where you purchase goods or services.

For example, a sporting goods store will carry items from Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, and others for their customers to choose from. Or, a grocery store will carry items from Quaker Oats, Chiquita Bananas, Kellogg’s, Frito-Lay, and many other food brands. A customer goes to these stores, and shops for the items that they want.

An insurance broker is no different. Effectively, a brokerage is a place where customers can shop the different insurance brands like: Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, Aflac, HealthNet, and many others. There can also be accessibility to the new state health insurance exchanges (ie: Covered California) through brokers.

A brokerage is a place where selections can be made based on preferences like:

  1. Type of coverage.
  2. Cost of coverage.
  3. Network access.
  4. Coverage and costs that fit your business’ (or family’s) specific needs.

You’re able to “one-stop-shop” for the coverage that fits you best. An insurance brokerage customer also gets the added value of licensed professionals that can assist with specific questions when selecting coverage (persons with the RHU® or REBC® designations can also be very valuable to you).

Thanks for stopping by today, we hope you found our information to be valuable. Check back at our blog to get further information about funding healthcare. Also, please share with your friends, clients, colleagues, and family. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PolicyAdvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PolicyAdvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PolicyAdvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PolicyAdvantage

Word Press: http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

Professional Designations: RHU® and REBC®

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This blog post is about helping people understand insurance professional designations. Sometimes you’ll see a group (or grouping) of letters after a person’s name who works in the insurance industry. In most cases, these are advanced licenses and continuing education. The professional you’ve chosen has decided to further their education in the line of business that he or she works in (“lines of business” = life insurance, health insurance, property insurance, etc).

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the source of two of them:

  1. Registered Health Underwriter® (RHU®):
  2. Registered Employee Benefits Consultant® (REBC®):

The reason we’ve chosen these two is because they deal specifically in the areas of health insurance and employee benefits. If you’ve kept up with our content here at Policy Advantage Insurance Services, you’ll know that these are the primary areas where we work.

Professionals with these designations can be an extremely valuable resource for you. These designations are robust. These are individuals that have:

  • Passed rigorous examinations (this isn’t just a Saturday conference at the Holiday Inn… we’re talking about hundreds of hours of study, days of proctored testing, where the material needs to be known cover-to-cover, and all finals are final).
  • Have met experience requirements.
  • Adhere to strict ethical standards (ie: providing advise in the interest of the client).

According to NAHU ( the National Association of Health Underwriters):

The Registered Health Underwriter® designation is the undisputed professional credential for persons involved in the sale and service of disability income and health insurance. Individuals earning the RHU designation demonstrate a high level of knowledge about the principles and practices governing the disability income and health insurance business.

Here are some additional facts and information about these professional designations:

  • The RHU® and REBC® designations are issued by the Solomon S. Huebner School at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
  • The American College is a regionally accredited institution (the highest level of accreditation in the United States).
  • The college offers several professional designations, two types of master’s degrees, and a PhD program.
  • It is a non-profit private school that was established in 1927.
  • Solomon S. Huebner (who founded The American College) was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the early 1900’s, and was a pioneer in the insurance industry. For more/additional information about Huebner, click here.
  • Although the University of Pennsylvania and The American College are completely separate institutions, the University of Pennsylvania maintains the prestigious S.S. Huebner Foundation and Geneva Association.

As illustrated, these professional designations can be an extremely valuable asset for someone seeking advice and consultation in the areas of health insurance and employee benefits. You can count on the information that you receive to be valuable, up-to-date, relevant, and ethical. In future blog posts, we’ll describe the specific skill sets and detailed knowledge that holders of the RHU® and REBC® designations have.

Thanks for stopping by, we hope you found our information to be valuable. Check back at our blog to get further information about funding healthcare. Also, please share with your friends, clients, colleagues, and family. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PolicyAdvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PolicyAdvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PolicyAdvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PolicyAdvantage

Word Press: http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

5 Reasons to “Give Yourself the Advantage”

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There are a lot of great reasons to put a health benefits broker to work for yourself or your company these days. As health insurance planning (and the health benefits industry in general) continues to grow more complex… having an informed, knowledgeable, and up-to-date adviser on your team can be a really big advantage.

Here are 5 great reasons to “give yourself the advantage” today:

  1. Healthcare Reform is Fast Approaching: The major portions of healthcare reform (ObamaCare, ACA, the Affordable Care Act, or whatever you want to call it) are quickly approaching. We can’t emphasize this enough. Although it will take years to implement (and there will no-doubt be changes), you’ll want to make sure that you have a good understanding about what is coming up in 2014 (and beyond). Whether you’re an individual or business, if you “miss the boat,” it could end up costing you a lot of money. Contact us with questions today. **Update 1/1/2014: Healthcare reform is here.
  2. Health Insurance and Health Benefits are Complex: As the health insurance and health benefits “system” continues to grow larger, navigating this landscape can become an increasingly burdensome chore for the typical consumer. We’ve got great news for you: we know this industry well, and can help you navigate it. There’s not a better feeling than having an informed friend on your side, helping you with the ins-and-outs. Just check our growing list of customer testimonials.
  3. Save Money and Improve Coverage: Yes, you heard that right. Individuals and business owners take note: with just a few simple adjustments to your current program, you may be able to improve your coverage, and save money at the same time. How’s that for a home run? Having someone in your corner (who knows the industry well) can help you accomplish this. Consider it a “tune-up” for your health insurance program, free of charge. Example: a minor adjustment with a tax incentive here, then a simple adjustment to a physician network there… and boom. You’ve got better coverage at a cheaper price. Granted, improvement doesn’t happen every single time, but in many cases, it’s possible. Contact us to help you look it over.
  4. Valuable, Up-to-Date, Relevant Information: This is one of our big areas of emphasis at Policy Advantage Insurance Services. We know this industry changes. Sometimes quickly. We stay up-to-date with the information that we provide using a number of different strategies. The two big ones: A) Professional Designations (ie: the RHU®/Registered Health Underwriter® and REBC®/Registered Employee Benefits Consultant are the undisputed professional credentials in our industry). B) Information from our partnerships and affiliations (ie: insurance companies, third party administrators, and educational institutions). Companies like Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, United Healthcare, and others are constantly providing us with fresh information that we get out to our client base and readers. We take great pride in providing you with up-to-date info.
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  1. Insurance Company Choices and Options: With a broker, you don’t just choose from one insurance company, you get to choose from many. A broker is like an “insurance store.” This can be very important for a number of different reasons. Physician and hospital networks vary from insurance company to insurance company. Insurance premiums may also vary. The structure and the way that managed care organizations (or MCOs) operate  can also vary considerably. These are all good reasons why it’s a good idea to give yourself some choices when it comes to health insurance companies.

As you can see above, you can “give yourself the advantage” today. Our number one priority are our clients and customers, and helping you navigate the complex world of health insurance and health benefits.

Thanks for stopping by, we hope you found our information to be valuable. Check back at our blog to get further information about funding healthcare. Also, please share with your friends, clients, colleagues, and family. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PolicyAdvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PolicyAdvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PolicyAdvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PolicyAdvantage

Word Press: http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

Policy Advantage Insurance Services: Content Guide

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This is the Policy Advantage Insurance Services comprehensive content guide. We are giving you insight into our various information outlets (much like TV channels), so that you can effectively utilize these resources as valuable tools. You can find us at all of the top social media sites on the web. (username: policyadvantage)

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In this blog post you will discover all of the platforms and services where we distribute our information (ie: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc). Although each location is a little bit different, we try to stay as consistent as possible with the information we share. Our biggest goal is to help empower our clients, when it comes to making decisions about funding their healthcare.

You can click on the icons below to visit each location. There’s a goldmine of information… here you go:

Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Homepage: 

home

Page URL: www.policyadvantage.com

Purpose: Like any home page, this is where our business resides online. Here you will find standard company information (addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc). You will also find things like customer testimonials, links to our social media, online application tools, and other information that is useful for both clients and colleagues.

Our homepage’s goal is to be a very important resource to our clients and policyholders. We are currently in the early stages of our homepage development, with a goal to make it a very interactive and user-friendly location that provides many tools (ie: applying online, user profiles, easy accessibility to information, and many others). We’ll continue to improve our homepage, so make sure to check back.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Twitter Page:

Twitter

Page URL: www.twitter.com/policyadvantage

Purpose: The purpose of our Twitter page is to distribute short, valuable, up-to-date pieces of information to our Twitter followers. We like to call it a “micro-blog.” At our Twitter page, we will tweet links to articles of interest, important webpages, important blog posts, etc. Our Twitter posts are also sometimes social (ie: non-insurance content that may include current events, pictures, “inside” company info, sports, local events, etc).

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Facebook Page:

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Page URL: www.facebook.com/policyadvantage

Purpose: The purpose of our Facebook page is to distribute valuable information to the people who “Like” our Facebook page and also to the general public. Everything (all posts) at our Facebook page are public. We encourage our friends, clients, and followers to “like and share” the information that we post in our news feed. There are graphics, links, etc that can come in handy. We share a lot of info at our Facebook page.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Word Press Page:

word press

Page URL: www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

Purpose: This is Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ primary blog. This is where you’ll find the most in-depth written information that we share. Our intended audience here is both employers and individuals. You will find valuable information across all subjects when it comes to financing (paying for) healthcare. Many of our posts are categorized, and we try to keep things as simple as possible. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it here… spend some time at this blog. It’s like a health benefits newspaper.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ YouTube Page: 

youtube-logo

Page URL: www.youtube.com/policyadvantage

Purpose: Some people would rather watch/listen than read. For those that would rather watch, our YouTube page is for you. If you are interested in hearing presentations on the various topics and subjects, this is where you want to be. We add Power Point presentations on a periodic basis. Some of our most important information is shared through our YouTube channel.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Pinterest Page:

Pinterest

Page URL: www.pinterest.com/policyadvantage

Purpose: Pinterest is kind of a newbie in the social media world. It is a great website. This is a place where you can learn more about us at a personal level (outside of just insurance/health benefits talk). We have various creative pin boards here, where we pin the things that inspire us. We even have one dedicated to our clients and colleagues: “Heart of a Lion.” Definitely look us up and follow us at Pinterest, we have fun here. Our webpage was also just recently “Pinterest verified.” We now have the official red check mark next to our URL.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ Blogspot Blog:

Blogger

Page URL: www.policyadvantage.blogspot.com

Purpose: Our Blogspot blog is currently our secondary blog (we always recommend our Word Press blog first). We have future plans to develop this blog further. Currently, it is pretty much a “mirror” to the rest of our content.  Check back periodically.

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Policy Advantage Insurance Services’ About.me Page:

about.me

Page URL: www.about.me/policyadvantage

Purpose: Our newest addition to the content family, our About.me page is currently under construction. Check back periodically as we prepare it to distribute more Policy Advantage Insurance Services information in the future.

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This concludes our comprehensive review of our internet content guide. Check any of the various outlets, and you fill find valuable, up-to-date, relevant information about financing (paying for) healthcare. There is some great information at these different Policy Advantage Insurance Services social media locations.

We also stay on top of current trends, and will add additional “channels” when they become popular. Our username at each one is typically “slash policyadvantage.” (www.example.com/policyadvantage)

As always, thanks for stopping by. We hope that you found our information to be valuable. Please share it with friends, clients, colleagues, and family.

Welcome: Fall 2012 Info Campaign!

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You probably received a flyer, or heard from us online.  We’re glad that you’re here!

Also… hello to all of our current colleagues…

Every once in a while, we’ll run a short info “campaign.” We’ll get valuable, up-to-date, and relevant content out to our friends, clients, and potential clients.  If you’re familiar with us, as you already know… we like sharing good information.

Basic goals of a Policy Advantage Insurance Services “Information Campaign”:

  1. AWARENESS.  Be aware that we share valuable and relevant information.
  2. FAMILIARITY.  We want people to know where they can access information: (ie: www.policyadvantage.com, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, etc).
  3. SUBSCRIBE & SHARE. We encourage people to follow, subscribe, and stay “in the know” about financing (paying for) healthcare. We’d also like you to share our information w/ friends & colleagues.

Thanks for stopping by, we hope our information was valuable to you. Check back at our blog to get further information about funding healthcare. Also, please share with your friends, clients, colleagues, and family. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/policyadvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/policyadvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/policyadvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/policyadvantage

Word Press (you are here): http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com

Welcome to the Policy Advantage Insurance Services™ blog!

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Thanks for stopping by; we’re glad that you’re here. We have a lot of great information to share with you.

Over the course of the next few years, there will be many things taking place in our industry! Stay tuned… we’re going to get you some valuable information. This is information that will help you save money while you put all the pieces together.

PolicyAdvantageJPEGLogo

For those who are wondering, we help individuals and organizations put together strategies to pay for their healthcare services:

You may be looking for an insurance plan, a dental plan, or even an alternative funding tool (ie: something like a health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement). You might also be trying to understand more about new government options… or… you could be looking at ways to potentially save some tax dollars. Regardless of what you’re looking for… we provide relevant, current information on topics like these.

Just like anything else: family budgets, starting a business, investments, education, etc… there is planning involved. We’ll be your resource in one place where you can ask your questions.

When we say “give yourself the advantage” we really mean it. We provide high-quality and up-to-date information to help you plan. We also provide you with many different company options. This can help you with pricing and choices.

Thanks for stopping by, we hope our information was valuable to you. Check back at our blog to get further information about funding healthcare. Also, please share with your friends, clients, colleagues, and family. Here are a few of our other information outlets:

Home Page: https://policyadvantage.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/policyadvantage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/policyadvantage

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/policyadvantage

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/policyadvantage

Word Press (you are here): http://www.policyadvantage.wordpress.com