A bit about my new venture: LegUp Health
Today, more than 200,000 Utahns buy their own health insurance.[1] For them, finding, using, and managing health insurance is an overwhelming experience. Every year, they waste countless time and money buying the wrong plan or misusing the right one. A key advantage of buying your own insurance is getting to choose the coverage that best fits your needs. But without help from HR, and with hundreds of plan options available, choice becomes a burden. New provider networks and government tax credits only make it more complicated. As a result, most of these Utahns aren't confident they have the best coverage at the best price.
Most Utahns try to solve this problem on their own. They either use healthcare.gov or they “go direct” to a health insurance company. Others attempt to shortcut the process by working with an insurance broker. And others procrastinate until a decision gets made for them.
These existing solutions fall short:
They don’t help Utahns compare all their options. Healthcare.gov and insurance companies don’t let Utahns see all their plan options. And while traditional health insurance brokers may mean well, they’re biased. They work on commission. So they often focus on a sale instead of ensuring consumers find the best coverage at the best price.
They don’t help Utahns use and manage their coverage. Healthcare.gov doesn’t help consumers after they buy coverage; it’s only a shopping tool. Insurance companies don't help consumers maximize their benefits; doing so would reduce profits. And insurance brokers don’t deliver ongoing service; they’re salespeople.
They don’t deliver the service Utahns are already paying for. There’s a hidden secret that makes the status quo even crazier. Utah consumers are already paying for a third-party "agent" to help year-round. The insurance company sets aside a small fee each month to pay an agent to help level the playing field. This “agent fee” is included in all insurance "premiums", whether the consumer has an agent or not.
We believe buying your own health insurance should be a benefit; not a burden. Today, individual health insurance is now apples-to-apples with employer-provided coverage. On average, it provides the same level of benefits as employer coverage at the same cost. But individual coverage also has many advantages over traditional employer-provided coverage:
It’s portable. We can keep our health insurance when we switch jobs.
It maximizes choice. We pick our own doctor networks, co-pays, and deductibles.
It maximizes government tax credits. We can take advantage of new premium tax credits that cap health insurance costs.
It maximizes consumerism. Our consumer preferences get amplified, which leads to long term health care innovation.
It frees employers. Our employers can focus their time and money on their core business.
Over the last decade, the number of employers offering health insurance has declined 10 percent.[2] That’s no surprise when you consider the advantages of employees buying their own coverage. We believe this shift will start to accelerate in the next few years.
LegUp Health is a free health insurance agency that helps you find, use, and manage your own coverage.
If you buy your own health insurance, LegUp Health helps you:
Find the best coverage at the best price.
Save time and money using and managing your coverage.
Get the year-round support you’re already paying for.
Find the best coverage at the best price.
Choose any policy from any health insurance company available in Utah. Use our online tools to compare all your options; both on healthcare.gov and off of it. Then, enroll online.
Need help narrowing your options? We'll help you pick a plan based on your budget, coverage needs, and doctor preferences. If you’re eligible, we also help you take advantage of new premium tax credits that cap your costs.
Never feel like you’re getting sold, hustled, or steered. All LegUp Health team members are salaried and receive no commissions. We don’t hire salespeople and we don’t allow selling.
“As a digital nomad with a family, finding health insurance that meets our needs has been hard. LegUp Health helped me explore our options and enroll online.”
Save time and money using and managing your coverage.
Manage all your medical policies in one place. Add your health, dental, vision, and accident insurance policies to your account dashboard. Each month, we'll send you a brief update on each policy including the deductible status.
Avoid unexpected bills and fees by understanding your coverage and provider networks. When you add your policy to your LegUp Health Dashboard, we create a digital insurance card. Your digital insurance card includes links to doctor lookup tools and coverage details.
Maximize your benefits. Take advantage of free services and wellness rewards. Know your options when you’re traveling. Discover and set up useful digital health tools such as a health savings account or online pharmacy.
Streamline annual “Open Enrollment”. Every year during Open Enrollment, we make it easy for you to review your new options for the next year. Make a confident decision to keep your current policy or switch to a new one with better coverage and a better price.
“When I moved to Utah, I had no idea which individual health insurance plans were best. And as a business owner, I didn’t have time to figure it out on my own. LegUp Health helped me find the right plan and saves me time when I have questions.”
Get the year-round support you’re already paying for.
LegUp Health is free. Our services are paid for by your insurance company at no extra cost to you. You can make LegUp Health your agent in just a few minutes online. It’s easy. All you have to do is set up a free account, upload your insurance cards, and sign a one-page electronic document.
We’re your advocate with your insurance company and healthcare.gov year-round. Never feel bad or embarrassed about asking questions or sharing details about your situation. Sleep better knowing you're not alone.
We'll guide you through “Life Events” when they come up. Make confident changes to your coverage when you have a baby, get married, switch jobs, or move.
Add our Virtual Contact Card to your phone. Reach out to us any time via your preferred method: chat, phone, email, or text.
“Before LegUp Health, our family was on its own. It’s nice to know we have someone who will help us if we need it.”
Why should you trust us?
We are independently owned and operated. This means we can make and keep our promises. We will always take your privacy seriously. We will do everything possible to ensure you always have the best coverage at the best price. We will be polite, thoughtful, and responsive in our communications.
We are not salespeople or brokers. All our team members are salaried and do not receive commissions. This allows them to focus on helping you find the best coverage at the best price for your situation.
We have deep experience and expertise. I’ve spent my entire career focused on individual health insurance. Before LegUp Health, I was the CEO of PeopleKeep and President of Zane Benefits. There, we pioneered the concept of employer-funded individual health insurance. I've co-authored a book, The End of Employer-provided Health Insurance (Wiley 2014). And my work in this arena has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, and PBS.
We have happy clients who trust us. We’re happy to provide you with a reference or ten. LegUp Health has already helped many Utahns find, use, and manage their own coverage:
Robert had renewed the same individual health insurance policy for almost a decade. After reviewing all his options with LegUp Health he purchased a new policy. He’s now saving $3,500 per year on health insurance.
Bran recently started a new business and needed to get new health insurance for his family. He was about to buy a policy directly from the insurance company when he discovered LegUp Health. After using our free tools and advice, he decided to get the same plan via healthcare.gov. He and his family are saving $10,000 per year by taking advantage of premium tax credits.
Dave moved to Utah and needed help finding coverage. He used LegUp Health to compare policies from all the insurance companies in Utah and enroll online. He contacts us regularly for help understanding his coverage and navigating his network.
Johnny and his family had bought health insurance directly from the health insurance company for years. He’s now using LegUp Health to save time and money using and managing his health insurance. During Open Enrollment this year, we'll ensure he has the best coverage for the best price.
Dick had already bought his own health insurance through a traditional broker. But, his broker rarely returned his phone calls or answered his questions. When he discovered LegUp Health, he made us his agent so he could get the service he was already paying for.
If you’re still not ready to make us your agent, that’s okay. Try our services until you’re ready to make us your agent. We’d be happy to have the opportunity to earn your trust over time.
Already have individual health insurance? Make us your agent today in just a few minutes online. All you have to do is create a free account, upload your insurance cards, and sign a one-page electronic document. That’s it. We take care of the rest.
Need new insurance coverage? Create a free account and start shopping or schedule a situation assessment.
Have employees? Offer LegUp Health as a benefit. Contact us for details.
Want to support us or stay up to date? Subscribe to our company updates. Email me and I’ll add you to the list.
Notes
[1] This number is conservative. We calculated it by multiplying the total Utah population (3.2 million) by the percentage of Utahns who have non-group health insurance coverage (9 percent) according to kff.org..
[2] This is according to data from kff.org.