Nicole Sherwood of HealthMarkets travels across Northeast Ohio to help clients meet their insurance coverage needs

By Beth Newcomb

Although Barack has departed and Donald taken his place, nothing about Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) for 2019 has changed. People without employer sponsored healthcare are required to have health insurance under the law. But there is an interesting wrinkle that falls outside the governance of the act that will have people who participate in the Affordable Care Act breathing a collective sigh of relief.

According to Nicole Sherwood, a licensed insurance agent with HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, the tax penalty associated with avoiding coverage under the ACA has been eliminated by President Trump.

“The individual mandate on the tax penalty has gone away for 2019,” she says. “That was a tax code change, not an ACA change, but it obviously impacts everyone covered under the Affordable Care Act.”

What that tax change means to people who currently subscribe to ACA coverage is they now have the freedom to change to a non-ACA governed plan.

“Because there is no requirement to participate, people have the freedom to choose a non-ACA compliant plan, which is likely to cost them a whole lot less,” Nicole explains.

So if you are on an ACA plan right now, it makes good sense to schedule a time to meet with Nicole to review your options. “You may be able to save a lot of money,” she emphasizes.

Here’s another good reason to schedule a free review.

“The ACA did a great job of including all of the things a healthcare plan should include, like standard essential benefits,” Nicole explains.

“But you paid for those benefits, whether you used/needed them or not. The plans are essentially one-size-fits-all. The problem is, you most likely have been paying for things like maternity and newborn care coverage, but if you don’t want more kids or you’re past the childbearing years, you didn’t need the coverage. Now you can pick something outside of the ACA, that includes the coverage you actually need and can use, and save money—without paying a penalty.”

Scheduling a free review of your standing with Nicole can have you headed in the right, and likely more affordable, direction.

“The enrollment period is still the law,” Nicole explains.

“People who want or need ACA coverage still need to follow the enrollment dates, or they need to change plans. And many people continue to qualify for the tax subsidy, which is still in place. So insurance coverage is still very affordable for them. But with me, you’ll have the power to learn about all of your options, and you can feel confident that the plan you’re in, or perhaps another plan, is the best fit for you and your family. You have the power to choose.”

The beauty of scheduling your review with Nicole is that as a licensed insurance agent with HealthMarkets, she has access to a number of different plans. In fact, HealthMarkets offers coverage under all of the major carriers, so you don’t need to sit down with more than one agent. Meeting with Nicole is a one-and-done.

“Everyone needs health insurance coverage,” she says. “The difference I can offer is that my services are free of charge, and I can provide access to carriers some other agents cannot. I can help you determine if you should elect coverage outside of the ACA, or if staying with the ACA makes better sense.”

Another reason for the review is if in the past you didn’t qualify for a tax subsidy, in 2019 you might. Or you might want to look at other options that cost less. The time it takes to determine if you’re in the right plan or if Nicole can point you in a direction that saves you a lot of money is about an hour. And she’ll come to you, no matter where you live in Northeast Ohio, including the more southern counties.

Meet Nicole Sherwood
Nicole grew up in Kent and went to Kent State University. She currently lives in Uniontown with her husband, Chris, and their three kids: Josie, 17, Cade, 14 and Jude, 13.

She and Chris will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in the summer of 2019, which is when Josie graduates from high school. “We’re going to be celebrating a lot of milestones next year,” she smiles. “I’d like to go to Hawaii for our anniversary. That’s the goal.”

In her spare time, Nicole says she loves spending time with her family, live streaming TV shows and going to the movies.

To schedule your personal ACA review with Nicole Sherwood of HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, you can call her directly at 330-303-7733. Nicole travels all over Northeast Ohio and beyond, meeting with clients and helping them to secure the healthcare coverage that best meets their needs. Your review, and her services, are offered at no charge. Agents may be compensated based on your enrollment.

HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, Inc. is licensed as an insurance agency in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Not all agents are licensed to sell all products. Service and product availability varies by state. No cost or obligation to enroll. HMIA006099