June 4, 2014 – Minneapolis, MN — Minnesota Health Insurance Agency (MHIA), a privately held Minnesota company, offers individuals an efficient way to evaluate and select a health insurance policy by talking with licensed insurance agents. For the consumer navigating the new healthcare reform to determine their individual health insurance options, working with MHIA is an alternative to the state’s federally mandated online insurance website called MNsure.
MHIA founders Eric Anderson and Andrew Troje, have been immersed in health insurance since 2011 and consistently ranked as the top two sales agents for Blue Cross, Medica and Preferred One. Anderson says, “We’ve been closely monitoring health insurance reform since the March 2010 federal law called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed. So when Governor Dayton signed a bill in spring 2013 to allow individual insurance agents to work within the state exchange, we were ready. MHIA signed up.”
“We knew there would be high demand between October 2013 and March 2014, the first open enrollment period. We also knew we could manage the full process while providing the same products at the same price as MNsure,” Troje noted. Another key differentiator for MHIA is their call center staff of licensed insurance agents who are able to ask a series of questions to determine and recommend the best health insurance policy for them. MNSure’s staff can share options with consumers, but by law they cannot make policy recommendations.
ACA changed the health insurance landscape dramatically. People seeking health insurance under the new law wanted what MHIA’s agents could provide: clarity in understanding their options, conversation with a qualified expert and a policy recommendation. The act also did away with the pre-existing conditions limitations so that every individual, regardless of their prior health history, would have equal access to healthcare. “This significant change meant we could streamline our process dramatically,” says Anderson.
MHIA’s process takes about five to ten minutes over the phone. For each caller, agents assess coverage needs from individual to family, current health insurance status and employment scenario and what is most important to them in a policy. Troje notes, “Our customers appreciate that we share comparison information on policy types and carriers and can make recommendations to get the right coverage and the lowest possible cost.”
An email to the customer prompts them to review options within the recommended carrier’s plan, determine specific preferences like the deductible and make a payment all online. “We ramped up our call center to 10 agents to accommodate the demand and sold over 1500 policies in the last six months,” says Anderson. “Our best reward was hearing from customers – pleased to discover there was an option to MNSure and expressing their high level of satisfaction with our process.”
Minnesota Health Insurance Agency (MHIA), a privately owned company, employs licensed insurance agents to help individuals evaluate and select their health insurance options at no cost. Since 2011, MHIA has sold over 2500 policies and continues to provide their clients with high quality service and insurance at the best possible cost.
**MHIA cannot service customers who use Medical Assistance, MN Care or whose income qualifies them for advanced premium tax credits. We immediately refer those consumers to