Individuals: Get covered in California
Ernstam & Lewis helps thousands of individuals find a variety of benefits. We can help you too.
We’re ready to help individuals and families get access to coverage including:
If you are not offered insurance as an employee or through your spouse’s job, Ernstam & Lewis can help. We assist individuals in obtaining benefits for themselves and their families in California. We’ve helped thousands of people find coverage through Covered California (the Affordable Care Act) and through private insurance plans. Note: Covered California requires brokers to post a copyright notice and disclaimer, which you can read here.
Individual health insurance
Whether you’re self-employed or work for a business, health insurance is essential. Few Californians can shoulder the load of catastrophic medical expenses. But how do you find affordable health insurance in The Golden State?
Ernstam & Lewis surveys the market to find the best rates and health insurance for individuals. All plans are not created equal. Coverage that fits one person may not be ideal for another. That’s why we get the data and you decide. We’re here to consult all along the way.
Although you could do the work yourself, Ernstam & Lewis does it for you. And we charge individuals nothing. You’ll get the same rate as if you called the insurers yourself.
Securing health insurance is a challenging endeavor. You don’t have to go it alone.
Individual dental insurance
No one looks forward to going to the dentist, but nearly everyone understands it’s essential. With a large household, even standard preventative dental care can become costly. This is magnified when more advanced dental care is required. That makes it good news that dental insurance costs significantly less than other benefits. Plans are flexible and can be adapted to fit your budget and needs. Contact us to learn more about dental benefits in California.
Individual life insurance in California
Life insurance is a benefit that provides a high level of comfort and security. However, only about half of Americans are covered. This may be that the topic (mortality) is unpleasant, that we think it’s unaffordable or that we don’t understand its benefits.
Yet life insurance is a benefit that can be life-changing for those affected by the tragic event of an untimely death.
Individual life insurance:
Provides for the needs of survivors.
Replaces some or all of the employee’s income.
Protects people from poverty and debt.
Pays mortgages and other long-term expenses.
Pays for funeral expenses.
Can help fund education.
Supplements retirement savings and income.
Helps pay taxes and legal bills related to the employee’s death.
Gives peace of mind.
Two types of life insurance
There are two basic approaches to life insurance: term life and whole life.
Term life
Term life insurance is the most affordable approach. It offers protection at a set rate for a fixed number of years. At the end of the coverage period, the potential for benefits ends. Term life has no cash value and only pays out upon the death of the policy holder.
Whole life insurance
Whole life insurance costs more than term life, but has more benefits. Whole life offers guaranteed rates, death benefits and cash value (meaning funds can be used while you’re still living). Whole life also has the potential to pay dividends in addition to the policy’s payout value. Contributions to a whole life plan may have tax advantages.
Universal life insurance
Universal life is in the family of whole life, but provides more flexibility: It allows the policy owner to shift money between the insurance and savings components of the policy. For example, if the savings portion is earning a low return, it can be used instead of external funds to pay the premiums. Unlike whole life insurance, universal life allows the cash value of investments to grow at a variable rate adjusted monthly.
Individual disability insurance in California
When an injury or illness forces an employee out of the workforce, the results can be devastating. While some lines of work are more prone to injuries, no employee is immune from cardiac or neurological or other health issues.
When people consider the reality of a disability, anxiety sets in: “I can’t work but the bills are still coming.”
Although there is a disability component to Social Security, it is not designed for temporary coverage.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Disability insurance provides a safety net when health factors remove an individual from the workplace.
Disability insurance is not one-size-fits-all. The price and payout of plans can be customized.
One determining cost factor is the length of the waiting period for benefits to begin. The longer the waiting period, the lower the cost. For example, disability premiums will be lower when a waiting period is 90 days vs. 30 days.
The term (duration) of benefits can also be customized. The most frequently chosen benefit periods are two years, five years, and to age 65. Policies with shorter maximum benefit periods will have lower premiums. Plans can include funds for occupational rehabilitation.
Individual vision insurance
Vision insurance is a popular benefit. Why? Much of it has to do with demand. EyeMed reports 76% of adults use some form of vision correction. The average cost of a pair of prescription glasses (not counting the doctor’s exam) is several hundred dollars per pair. Multiplying this number times the number of family members can strain a family’s budget.
Eye exams can also reveal potential signs and symptoms of serious health conditions including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease.
The good news: Vision insurance is available and affordable to individuals in California. Policies can be customized, but they often cover eye examinations and some or all of the cost of prescription eyewear. Some policies also pay for a portion of laser surgery and other corrective procedures.
Travel Insurance for Californians
Advertising beckons us to hop on a plane and forget all our troubles. But one factor often overlooked by travelers is health care outside the United States. If you break your leg in Italy (or anywhere else), your insurance will be of no value. For a few additional dollars, travel insurance can add peace of mind to your trip and provide quality care around the globe.
Erntam & Lewis partners with GeoBlue to make sure your health needs are covered when you leave the United States. Use your phone to quickly find care worldwide. And it’s not limited to emergencies. GeoBlue can help you fill prescriptions, translate and locate a physician. Find detailed profiles of recommended primary care physicians and specialists, plus hospitals, pharmacies and dentists. Make an appointment from your mobile phone.
Californians can travel with confidence with travel insurance provided through Ernstam & Lewis.
Notice from Covered California
“Covered California,” “California Health Benefit Exchange”, and the Covered California Logo are registered trademarks or service marks of Covered California, in the United States. The website is owned and maintained by Ernstam & Lewis Insurance Services, which is solely responsible for its content. This site is not maintained by or affiliated with Covered California, and Covered California bears no responsibility for its content. The e-mail addresses and telephone numbers that appear throughout this site belong to Ernstam & Lewis Insurance Services and cannot be used to contact Covered California.