We’re licensed for insurance in Texas, and we do taxes. That combination matters more than it sounds: the subsidy you take during the year gets reconciled on your tax return, so we update your estimated income when it changes instead of letting April do the math for you.
We quote across several carriers — Marketplace, private and life — and we tell you which one actually fits, not which one pays the best commission.
Marketplace (Obamacare/ACA) plans with the federal premium tax credit, private plans for when the Marketplace doesn’t cover your situation, and coverage for households where not everyone has a Social Security number.
Group plans for LLCs and small businesses, from two employees up — set up so the premiums work as a business expense and the plan stays in line with the ACA rules that apply to employers.
Term Life for 10, 20 or 30 years, cheaper and time-limited. Or Whole Life, permanent, with cash value. Some policies skip the medical exam, and some are available with an ITIN.
We don’t write these ourselves. We hand you to licensed partners we already work with, so you’re not starting the search from zero.
Because the plan you pick in November shows up on your tax return in April. An agent who doesn’t file returns never finds out what his advice cost you.
We adjust your coverage every time your income changes. You don’t have to call twice to make that happen.
Most of the people we cover in Austin don’t have an employer plan. They’re self-employed, on a 1099, between jobs, or running a business that’s too small to offer one. Here’s how each of those usually goes:
The Marketplace is normally the first place to look, because the premium tax credit is calculated on your income, not on an employer. What you can’t do is estimate that income once and forget about it — that’s the version of this that turns into a bill in April.
Losing job-based coverage opens a Special Enrollment Period: generally 60 days to get on a Marketplace plan without waiting for November. It’s a short window and it’s easy to let it close.
Some carriers sell health policies directly, outside the Marketplace, without asking for a Social Security number. Coverage and price vary a lot between them, so it’s worth comparing before you sign — that’s what the free quote is for. This comes up most often in mixed-status households, which are common in Austin: the eligible members (U.S. citizen or lawfully present children, for example) can enroll through the Marketplace with the premium tax credit even when someone else in the home can’t, and the rest of the family looks at the private options.
In the Austin area, Central Health / the Travis County Healthcare District runs MAP, a program for low-cost care based on your income, regardless of immigration status. It isn’t insurance, and we’ll say so — but for some households it’s the honest next step, and we’ll tell you when yours is one of them.
If you have a Marketplace plan, Form 1095-A shows up every January. It isn’t optional paperwork — the IRS matches it against your return.
Here’s the part that catches people. During the year, the government advances your subsidy (the premium tax credit) based on the income you estimated when you enrolled. In April, that estimate gets reconciled against what you actually made. Made less than you estimated, and the difference comes back to you. Made more — a raise, a second job, a business that finally took off — and you pay part of that subsidy back.
We update your estimated income during the year, when it changes. That’s the whole point: the reconciliation in April should be a formality, not news.
And when your 1095-A arrives, we’re the ones putting it on your return. Tax preparation →
Nothing. Our advice is free to you — we’re paid a commission by the insurance carrier, and that commission is regulated by the state of Texas. There’s no extra cost for talking to us, getting quotes, or enrolling.
No fine print and nobody pushing you to sign today.
We go through your household, your income and what your family actually uses medically. No charge, no obligation.
We’re not tied to one company. We put real Marketplace options and private plans side by side, with the deductible next to the premium.
We walk you through Open Enrollment or your Special Enrollment Period, step by step, and make sure the application is right the first time.
We review the plan every year and update your estimated income, so the subsidy math never turns into an IRS bill.
The ones we get most, answered without the jargon.
Tell us your household size, your county and roughly what you expect to make this year. We come back with real numbers from several carriers — and if a plan is going to cost you money in April, you’ll hear it before you enroll, not after.
