Carney Insurance – Obamacare? Medicare? …Relax… We Learn This Stuff, so You Don’t Have To!
This year, when looking to update or change your healthcare policy, consider calling Carney Insurance. With an eye for detail, Sue Carney has spent the last three years developing a niche for herself as a go-to resource for all topics Obamacare. She has the answers to your questions and as she likes to say, “I learn this stuff, so you don’t have to.” You can avoid the pain and suffering of long hold times, the frustration of lost documents, and the occasional futility of dealing with what is often an infuriatingly irrational system.
In addition to the healthcare assistance Carney Insurance can assist you with, she gas all your in-depth insurance needs covered, helping you gain coverage from Obamacare to Medicare, to Long-Term Care, Life Insurance, Annuities and more. We spoke with owner Sue Carney to learn more about the upcoming open enrollment and her company’s full scope of services.
Sue, you’ve done it! While many have simply thrown their hands into the air, pulled their hair out, and screamed in frustration, you have powered through the health care complexities. Not only this, but you have developed a solid reputation as one of the go-to experts around these topics.
Thanks, Shields!
I’ve been with Obamacare since the beginning, and it has provided a front-row roller coaster seat on one of the most historic thrill rides this country has ever seen! I was drawn to Obamacare, because it seemed obvious that if record numbers of people were going to be required by law to sign up for insurance using computers, they would need a lot of help. So, I obtained my insurance license and entered the fray, at first concentrating only on signing people up through the exchange. The need for this service was real, and the tiny business has grown into Carney Insurance, an independent agency designed and created specifically for federal healthcare enrollment issues. We are focused, experienced, knowledgeable and ready to help.
Our goal is to reduce the stress of Obamacare and Medicare on our clients by taking enrollment assistance to the next level, adopting a long-term customer care model more closely related to yearly tax filing services. Our clients can relax, knowing that we have their backs. We will send updates, track important deadlines, make phone calls, file required papers, send documents, and advise on program and policy matters. You will enjoy not having to think about it.
We have learned the big picture- the kind of assistance that will be needed at different points in the year, how to support our clients from start to finish, and how to assist in years to come. Yearly training and hands-on experience keep problem solving skills fresh. And every client brings something new. This promises to be the best enrollment yet- hope you can join us!
When does enrollment season begin?
For Obamacare:
November 1, 2015 – January 31, 2016
TIP: To avoid a lapse in coverage, enroll before December 15, 2015.
For Medicare:
October 15 to December 7
For Oregon Health Plan (OHP):
Apply any time. Renew yearly after you sign up, in the month you originally signed up.
There’s also no limited enrollment period for small businesses to enroll in SHOP coverage for their employees. You can apply any time. We can help.
What common questions do people seek answers for and how can you help them?
Do I qualify for the Oregon Health Plan?
What happens if I am make more or less money than my estimate?
I’m losing my employee health insurance- should I sign up for COBRA or Obamacare?
What happens if I just don’t sign up?
When is open enrollment?
Can I get temporary insurance?
What is this tax form I’ve been sent?
I’ve lost my benefits, what’s going on?
What is Healthy Kids?
Why haven’t I heard back about my application?
These are just a few of the issues that we deal with every day. As healthcare exchange specialists, we have the answers you need to get the benefits you and your family qualify for, and we will continue to have the answers and knowledge to help you navigate in the future, as your circumstances change, and as the federal marketplace continues to evolve.
Sue, I was not aware that you also assist people with Medicare.
Yes, I do. Like Obamacare, Medicare is complex, and people are always concerned that they are making the wrong choice. This feeling can be very uncomfortable for retirees and those preparing to retire. There are a couple of key decisions that need to be made, especially when evaluating Medicare supplement options. Sometimes it’s just less stressful to work with somebody who knows what is normal for this process. That’s why I like to offer free consultations and classes to help people see what their options are, and to make sure they are getting the benefits they have earned.
Another important issue is that Medicare doesn’t really cover long-term care. And this can cause a real financial disaster later in life. Fortunately, we have options to help keep you from running out of money before you run out of years.
A lot of time can be spent looking for answers with little avail.
Yes, call us! We are happy to help and can save you a lot of time waiting on hold, day after day, only to be cut off. It is much more efficient for us to wait on the line, because we always call about several clients at a time.
I am sure you have received baked cookies more than once for good deeds.
Yes, my clients are fantastic cooks, and kind and generous people! I love these things perhaps a bit more than I should! People have also been very kind with their referrals. Ashland is a lovely community to do business in.
This must feel good to know that you are able to help people find security and peace with such complicated topics.
You know, it does feel good. I think at the end of the day, I got into this business because I knew that big changes were coming to healthcare and health insurance and I wanted to be part of the solution. The fact is that not everybody is meant to get onto a computer and wade into the swamp associated with federal open enrollment. It also feels really good to be able to help people protect their retirement assets, and give them the peace of mind they deserve.
What should you be considering if you already have a plan in place?
I think everybody should make a phone appointment to evaluate their coverage options, whether they are insured through Healthcare.gov, or Medicare, as policies and prices change from year to year.
Please tell us more about Carney Insurance and the scope of services that you are offering.
This year, we are encouraging both Obamacare and Medicare customers to call us, and to join our growing client community.
Since I work with the people who are of retirement age, I find that I am very concerned about protecting people from losing their hard-earned wealth to the cost of long-term care, and so I have become something of an expert in long-term care options. There are some new and creative ways to get long-term care coverage that were not available just a few years ago.
You run a very streamlined and virtual operation. Please tell us more.
We now book primarily phone and web-based appointments. You remain in the comfort of your own home. Often, a simple phone conversation is all we need, but we also have at our disposal screen sharing, interactive webinars, virtual ID verification, email and document-sharing technologies to exchange information quickly and easily. Of course, if an office appointment is preferred, we can make that available.
We are now a paperless office, with all data securely stored in digital format. To eliminate phone tag, we have created a self-service appointment calendar online, so you can make an appointment at your convenience.
In fact, you can book your open enrollment appointment right now, online. Just go to:
Customer service has been key for you. Please tell us more.
It can be true both of Obamacare & Medicare that when problems arise, you are on your own. Especially with Obamacare, if something goes wrong with your application, you may not even know it. Expert customer service for the open enrollment process is really our niche. Most insurance professionals do not have the time or inclination to take on this work.
Working with a volatile, unreliable and inconsistent partner such as the healthcare exchange, it has sometimes been difficult to deliver the kind of customer service that we aspire to. But by now, I think we have seen almost every scenario the exchange has to throw at us. And we are ready to help, whatever is coming!
Sue, it seems you have a unique ability to take complicated things and simplify them. Where else have you done this in your life?
I began my teaching career as a YMCA swimming instructor as a teen, and have almost always been involved in some form of explaining. For 30 years, I have lectured in the Shakespeare Studies department at SOU. I have taught recorder to Waldorf classes, taught after school bands, and worked with adult reading students. But I think that my years directing professional music projects developed these skills more than anything else. I have always enjoyed reducing complexity and cutting through to simple necessity.
Last but not least, how do we go about reaching you?
Sue Carney, owner, Carney Insurance
170 Jessica Ln Ashland OR 97520
541-864-9439
www.carneyoffices.com
sue@carneyoffices.com
To schedule an appointment online, go to:
http://suecarney-appointments.genbook.com
