USA Benefits Group? Is Anyone Familiar with Them?

superdave45040 · 05-18-2009, 10:51 AM

I closed a p/c agency in February and I am considering selling individual health.
I found this company- USA Benefits Group on careerbuilder.

Does anyone have any experience with this company?
They offer traing and support and say that I will not be a captive agent. 18% to 20% commissions depending on the carrier and 3%-5% on the renewals. They offer a propriatary software program and website for around $100 a month.

I am thinking this might be a good way to start and get some training along with joining the IIHIA.

I will appreciate any thoughts/advice on getting started.

On a different subject- plan b is to open an independent p/c agency ( I was a captive agent ). It looks like Erie and/or Grange is willing to appoint me. Is there anyone that has gone from p/c to health or vice-versa and can share their thoughts on the pros & cons of each?

Thanks to all who contribute to this forum. I wish I'd found it sooner. If I ever know enough to contribute I will.

TRK3031962 · 05-19-2009, 12:27 AM

I'm not familiar with USA Benefits. However, from what you just posted I think I also have something you might be interested in taking a look at. I am an MGA for Health Choice One (HCO). You can read all kinds of good stuff on here about them if you do a search.

By the way, I second the motion of joining IHIAA also. Plenty of training there too. John has worked out good deals on leads and E&O coverage for his members. Well worth it.

You can give me a call at your convenience if you like.
Thanks,

Phillip Arnn · 05-19-2009, 03:30 PM

It is headed by Don Duryea (sic). He has a good personal reputation. They have a couple of good training sessions but not really any good major medical carrier overviews. They have a few major carriers to appoint with and quite a few limited benefits groups or CI/accident carriers i.e. AIM, Teamcorp, Colorado Bankers.
The website and associated tools for $124.95/mo come from your subscription to Iboomerang, a desktop sharing tool with a lot of added bells and whistles.

I would also look at Health Choice One in Colorado. They can appoint you with all the major and minor carriers plus limited benefits carriers. The training on individual carriers in superb.

If you are needing just a desktop sharing tool to conference iwth a client on the plans you have chosen to share with them, you might check out www.aqconference.com. They charge $20/mo whereas Gotomeeting and Iboomerang charge $50/mo just for the desktop tool.

I am a fairly new health agent so I don't know much, but I am with both of the IMOs listed above and can speak to both with some degree of insight.
Hope this helps

jmarkk1 · 05-25-2009, 04:14 PM

I am familiar with USA Benefits Group. When I worked with AHCP, USA BG was sort of a "sister" to AHCP. (not really sure how this played out....) I was in OH, and USA BG hosted training on products, etc. Don is a quality guy. You will find him to be extremely ethical, and helpful. Both AHCP and USA BG are geared more to the "online" sale, and so you would probably need money to spend on leads in addition to whatever leads they might give you in lead credits. (although these lead credit are terrible) Hope this helps.

superdave45040 · 05-28-2009, 10:17 AM

A thousand thanks to all who responded. After speaking with Scott at Health Care One yesterday I was sold. So Health Care One + IHIAA is the plan.

captain94 · 05-28-2009, 10:36 AM

I am in Ohio and signed with USA benifits over a year ago when I first went Indy. Be careful I signed on with a diffrent guy then Don and got lied to and held captive when I wanted a release. Don seemed like a good guy when I ment him but if you dont sign directly under him a diffrent manager will control your appt and when i relized he was a lier he said bad things about Don and tould me to write for him or wait 6 months to move my appt. And sent me 10-15 emails calling me every name in the book. he said he had 300 agents and he didnt care about what I did write business or not. It Was a huge mistake.

Ron Van D · 05-28-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by superdave45040

A thousand thanks to all who responded. After speaking with Scott at Health Care One yesterday I was sold. So Health Care One + IHIAA is the plan.

Well done, Grasshopper!

jcleer1 · 08-18-2009, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by captain94

I am in Ohio and signed with USA benifits over a year ago when I first went Indy. Be careful I signed on with a diffrent guy then Don and got lied to and held captive when I wanted a release. Don seemed like a good guy when I ment him but if you dont sign directly under him a diffrent manager will control your appt and when i relized he was a lier he said bad things about Don and tould me to write for him or wait 6 months to move my appt. And sent me 10-15 emails calling me every name in the book. he said he had 300 agents and he didnt care about what I did write business or not. It Was a huge mistake.

Was it someone with the initials PV? I signed on with USABG about 3 months ago and was lied to about pretty much everything regarding commissions and being able to walk with my business if I chose to. Fortunately for me the "manager" who hired me put it in writing in an eamil that the business is mine and I can take it with me if I decide to leave. I am still waiting for Don Duryea to call me, because I was told he is the one who has to provide the release.

Colorado Newbie · 08-18-2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Phillip Arnn

It is headed by Don Duryea (sic). He has a good personal reputation. They have a couple of good training sessions but not really any good major medical carrier overviews. They have a few major carriers to appoint with and quite a few limited benefits groups or CI/accident carriers i.e. AIM, Teamcorp, Colorado Bankers.
The website and associated tools for $124.95/mo come from your subscription to Iboomerang, a desktop sharing tool with a lot of added bells and whistles.

I would also look at Health Choice One in Colorado. They can appoint you with all the major and minor carriers plus limited benefits carriers. The training on individual carriers in superb.

[COLOR=red]If you are needing just a desktop sharing tool to conference iwth a client on the plans you have chosen to share with them, you might check out [/COLOR][COLOR=red]www.aqconference.com[/COLOR][COLOR=red]. They charge $20/mo whereas Gotomeeting and Iboomerang charge $50/mo just for the desktop tool.[/COLOR]

I am a fairly new health agent so I don't know much, but I am with both of the IMOs listed above and can speak to both with some degree of insight.
Hope this helps

I use mikogo.com for this same purpose. It works great, has great encrytion so you don't have to worry about anything funky it has all the bells and whistle the other companies have and best of all it's FREE!

BTW, before I start getting beat up for plugging I just want it to be known that I do not have any financial or personal vested interest in mikogo.com I just have common sense.....

ijerome · 08-20-2009, 06:55 PM

I worked with a PV, a manager in Ohio. Absoultely a top notch guy as is his Division head Don. If there is a problem these 2 guys can strighten it out. AHCP is also good.

jcleer1 · 08-21-2009, 10:03 PM

PV and Don are anything but straight up. I have it in writing from the hiring manager, not either one of them, but she is in their donwline that I could leave when I want and take my business with me. Well, neither one of them will honor it and blame it on the hiring manager being new and making a mistake. They did correct the commission problem to their credit, but all I wanted was a release from the hierarchy to write business direct on my own (which I had before joining this sham of an mlm outfit) and they have refused. So, I will ghost write through a friend for a couple of months to get by. Avoid this outfit like the plague. They do not even pay street level commissions. They wanted to pay AC products at a 15% first year an 1 % after. Anybody can go to AC and get 20% first year and 5% after or better. I have the commission schedule for anybody who wants to see it.

captain94 · 08-22-2009, 12:43 PM

My upline is B.N. not P.V. eaither way i would also go with health choice one. I do not sell majormeds anymore but I have heard very good thing about them and they are connected to AHCP just like usa bennifits.