Health Insurance Questions, Answered Without the Sales Pitch

Yes. Job loss is a qualifying life event for ACA Marketplace Special Enrollment — you have 60 days from your prior coverage end date. Private-market plans (TriTerm, HealthBridge PPO, fixed indemnity) are sold year-round and don't require a special enrollment period. COBRA is a third option but is usually much more expensive than the alternatives. Full Count Insurance runs all three numbers against your situation before recommending a path.

For most short-term and fixed-benefit private-market plans, preexisting conditions are not covered in the first 12 months. Allstate's HealthBridge PPO with the Renewable option can cover preexisting conditions starting in month 13. ACA Marketplace plans cover preexisting conditions from day one with no waiting period — that's the federal rule. If you have a condition needing ongoing care, ACA is usually the right call, even if the premium looks higher on paper.

Subsidies (Premium Tax Credits) reduce your monthly premium based on household income, household size, and the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area. Most households earning under roughly 400% of the federal poverty line qualify, though 2026 rules are tightening. The credit can be applied in advance (paid to the carrier each month) or claimed at tax time. Full Count Insurance runs the math on your specific household before recommending anything.

Three real paths: ACA Marketplace with subsidies (often the strongest answer because self-employment income tends to land in the subsidy zone), private-market plans through UnitedHealthcare or Allstate (year-round, medically underwritten), or your spouse's employer plan if available. The right answer depends on your projected MAGI, your health, and what your spouse's plan looks like. Self-employed health insurance premiums may also be tax-deductible — confirm with your CPA.

ACA Marketplace, every time. Pregnancy is a qualifying life event that opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. ACA plans are required to cover maternity care. Private-market short-term and fixed-benefit plans do not cover maternity. Full Count Insurance routes pregnancy cases directly to ACA — we will not recommend a private-market plan when maternity coverage is needed.

Depends on the product. Some private-market short-term plans (HealthBridge PPO, TriTerm) can start as early as the next day. ACA Marketplace plans typically start the 1st of the month after enrollment. Group employer plans have their own waiting periods. We'll confirm the exact effective date before you commit so you know what's covered when.

TriTerm is short-term major medical with a real deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum — sold in 14 states only. HPG (Health ProtectorGuard) is fixed-benefit indemnity that pays stated dollar amounts per covered service with no deductible, no out-of-pocket cap, and no network restrictions. Both are sold by UnitedHealthcare. They fit different situations — we look at your needs before recommending one.

If anyone depends on your income, probably yes. Self-employed people are often most underinsured because they don't have employer-paid group coverage as a backstop. The starting question isn't "what kind" — it's "how much would my family need if my income disappeared tomorrow." Once you have that number, term life is usually the most cost-effective way to cover it. Full Count Insurance runs that math with you before quoting.

For working-age households with dependents, a starting point is 10–15× annual income, plus outstanding mortgage and projected education costs, minus existing coverage. For a single self-employed person without dependents, the number is much smaller — usually just enough to cover final expenses and any business debt with a personal guarantee. The right number is specific to your situation, not a generic rule.

A fixed indemnity plan (also called fixed-benefit) pays a stated dollar amount per covered medical event — for example, $500 per emergency room visit, $1,000 per inpatient day. It's not major medical and not ACA-compliant. There's no deductible, no out-of-pocket maximum, and no coinsurance. It fits healthy people who want predictable per-event payouts and freedom to use any provider, but it's not a substitute for major medical coverage in catastrophic situations.

COBRA charges you 100% of the premium your employer was paying plus a 2% administrative fee. Your employer was likely subsidizing 70-80% of the premium while you were employed — when COBRA kicks in, you pay the whole thing. That's why an employee plan that cost you $300/month often becomes $1,200/month under COBRA. ACA with subsidies and private-market plans usually cost dramatically less for similar coverage.

On ACA Marketplace plans, no — federal law prohibits ACA carriers from denying coverage or charging more based on health. On private-market plans, it depends on the condition and the carrier. Some conditions result in a decline; others result in a rate adjustment or a rider excluding that condition. We work the underwriting with you and know which carriers tend to be more flexible on specific conditions.

Yes. Allstate's Guaranteed Issue PPO (a HealthBridge variant) and Allstate Health Access Guaranteed Issue both accept applicants without medical underwriting questions. The trade-off is lower benefit caps and coverage maximums compared to underwritten plans. ACA Marketplace plans are also "no health questions" by federal rule. We'll tell you which fits your situation if underwriting is a concern.

Yes, on most plans. ACA Marketplace plans allow dependents up to age 26. Private-market plans typically allow spouse and dependent children. CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) is a separate program for kids in households that earn too much for Medicaid but can't afford private coverage. Depending on your situation, splitting coverage (one parent on ACA, kids on CHIP) can sometimes save money.

ACA Marketplace plans are typically only sold during Open Enrollment (Nov 1–Dec 15) unless you have a qualifying life event that opens a Special Enrollment Period. Private-market plans (TriTerm, HealthBridge, HPG, Health Access) are sold year-round with no enrollment window. If you missed OEP and don't have a qualifying event, private-market is usually the bridge until the next OEP.

Several HealthBridge PPO designs are IRS-qualified HDHPs and HSA-compatible. Many ACA Bronze plans are HSA-compatible, and some Silver plans qualify. TriTerm, HPG, and Health Access are generally not HSA-compatible because they don't meet the IRS HDHP definition. If HSA contributions matter to your situation, we'll specifically pull HSA-compatible plans for you.

On ACA plans, possibly. Premium Tax Credits are based on your projected income — if your actual income ends up higher than projected, you may have to repay some subsidy at tax time. If lower, you may receive additional credit refunded. The fix is updating the marketplace mid-year when your income changes. We can help you do that. Your CPA confirms the final tax implications.

With HPG and Health Access (fixed-benefit plans), yes — they have no network restrictions, so you can use any provider (network discounts are available, not required). With TriTerm, HealthBridge PPO, and ACA plans, you'll want to check whether your doctor is in the specific network for that plan. We confirm network status for your doctors before recommending a plan.

Carriers pay licensed brokers a small commission on policies that get enrolled. The commission comes out of the carrier's marketing budget, not added to your premium. There's no fee to you for ACA Marketplace enrollment help, and no separate broker fee on private-market policies — premium is the same whether you enroll directly with the carrier or through us. The honest version: commissions are roughly comparable across carriers, so we have no incentive to push one over another.

Fill out the 3-minute intake form. We read it, run the subsidy math, pull options across 5 carriers, and come back with 2–3 plans that fit your situation. From form to options usually takes us less than one business day. From options to enrolled coverage usually takes another 1–3 days. Or call directly if you'd rather start with a conversation than a form.