Martin Elefant

I speak fluent deductible so you don't have to. Grab my free guide before you renew 👇

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Health insurance is the only product where you pay every month and still need a translator to use it. I'm your translator. Grab my free guide before you renew, link in bio 👇

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Download your health plan's app and save the digital ID card now. Because in an emergency, nobody wants to dig through a junk drawer and find three expired insurance cards, a takeout menu, and a battery that may or may not be dead.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Fun fact: the federal No Surprises Act protects you from most surprise ER bills, but NOT ground ambulance rides. Some states fill the gap, so check yours. It's the one Uber where the surge pricing comes with sirens.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

If your kid is on your health plan and goes to college out of state, check if your network covers them there. Some HMO plans only cover emergencies out of area. Your kid already ignores your texts, don't let your plan ignore their sinus infection.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Picked a Medicare Advantage plan and already regret it? From Jan 1 to Mar 31 you can switch plans once, or go back to Original Medicare. It's the only return policy in healthcare, and yes, you still have to keep the receipt.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Before a crown or root canal, ask your dentist to send a pre-treatment estimate to your dental plan. Find out what's covered before the drill, not after.

Only time I want my dentist and my insurance talking behind my back.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Both of you get health insurance through work? Compare both plans this open enrollment, and check for a "spousal surcharge." Some companies literally charge extra to cover your spouse.

Even my in-laws didn't do that.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

New health plan in January? Give your pharmacy and doctor's office the new insurance card BEFORE your first visit, or the claim goes to your old insurer. Your ex doesn't want your prescriptions either.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Doctor ordered an MRI? Ask if you can get it at an in-network standalone imaging center instead of the hospital. Often way cheaper. Same giant magnet, same jackhammer concert in a tube, smaller bill.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Moving to a new state? That usually opens a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new health plan, since your old network probably isn't moving with you. Your plan won't help carry the couch either.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Seeing an out-of-network therapist? Ask for a superbill and check if your plan has out-of-network benefits. You might get part of it back. The only receipt in healthcare that can pay YOU, which is honestly its own kind of therapy.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

If your insurance appeal gets denied, you can usually ask for an external review, where an independent reviewer decides, not your insurer.

Finally, a referee who isn't wearing the other team's jersey.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Got a scheduled procedure? Ask your plan if you can get it done at an in-network outpatient surgery center instead of a hospital. It's often a lot cheaper. Same procedure, the hospital just charges extra for having a gift shop.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Going abroad? Check if your health plan covers you overseas before you go. Original Medicare generally doesn't cover care outside the U.S.

Nothing ruins a vacation like finding out your insurance has never left the country and doesn't own a passport.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Tip: red, itchy eye? That's usually your medical insurance. New glasses? Usually your vision plan. Tell the eye doctor's front desk which one you're there for.

Your eyeball has two insurance companies and they've never met.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Many plans cap physical therapy visits per year. Check your limit before your knee finds out the hard way. Nothing like hearing "great progress!" and "that was your last covered visit" in the same sentence.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Claim denied? Call your doctor's billing office before you panic. Sometimes it's just a wrong code they can fix and resubmit. Your $900 "not medically necessary" might just be a typo with a superiority complex.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

Big hospital bill? Before paying, ask for their financial assistance application. Nonprofit hospitals have to offer one, and the income limits can be higher than you'd guess.

Worst case: a 10-minute form. Best case: your bill goes on a diet faster than you ever did.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

New parents: your employer plan often gives you just 30 days to add the baby. Call HR before the newborn's first hospital bill arrives addressed to someone with no job, no ID and no idea what a deductible is.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

“Free” is the most expensive word in Medicare.

A $0-premium plan can still have copays, a network, and an out-of-pocket max. Before Dec 7, check that your doctors and prescriptions are covered.

The retired quarterback in the TV ad is not going to check for you.

[Martin Elefant @insureMartin]

ACA tip: if your income changes mid-year, update your Marketplace application. Otherwise the subsidy you got all year turns into a tax-time plot twist.

Nothing says "Happy April" like the IRS asking for some of your health insurance back.