Steven and Tonya Hinds are living the life of their dreams thanks to second chances, relentless grit and a whole lot of gratitude.
Through their work as independent brokers with USA Benefits, they get to help people save money and get better health coverages every single day. But it’s much more than that. Showing people you can rise above adversity and make something of yourself has a ripple effect.
The success stories of their clients are a reflection of their own triumphs; listening to a customer tell them they can finally afford to go on vacation this year because of the money they’ve saved through insurance. Or a client crying tears of joy because they just received a reimbursement check for $15,000, meaning they didn’t owe a dime on their medical bill.
Not only do they save their clients’ money; they save them time, effort and the frustration that comes with trying to figure out how their insurance works and what providers to go with.
Steven and Tonya do all of the heavy lifting, so you can head into your doctor’s appointments or therapy sessions knowing you are getting the best quality care. And the relationship isn’t transactional—Steven and Tonya answer any questions that arise. More than that, they’re happy to help.
“We know how to shop,” Steven says of building plans. “People have been brainwashed that copay and deductibles are the only way to go, and that isn’t the case. People go into hospitals for an injury hoping they don’t get a big bill because there is no transparency. With us, it’s all about transparency.”
Getting into the health insurance business wasn’t exactly a career neither Steven nor Tonya envisioned for themselves. After fighting a long battle with alcohol addiction, Steven had a new outlook on life, feeling incredibly grateful that someone took a chance on him. Witnessing Steven so fulfilled in his new career as a broker, Tonya took a leap of faith and joined him—a risk for both of them as her corporate job was providing their income.
“When I got sober, I wanted to be a good example of people doing the right thing,” Steven explains. “I wanted to show my kids that no matter what happens, you can reinvent yourself. Through my sobriety and trying to be a good role model, I’m helping other people by being a good example.”
There are two main things that separate brokers like Steven and Tonya from agents. An agent is a person who signs up with a single carrier, "like AllState, for example," Steven says. "They are captive, meaning they can only sell that one product, which Steven says is “95 percent of people out there.”
Then there are brokers who aren’t tied to any one carrier. In fact, Steven and Tonya have over 85 carriers to choose from. “We have 32 different plans for dental, for example,” Steve says. “Anyone can come to us, unless they’re on Medicaid.”
The second thing is their ability to completely customize a plan to a family, couple or individual. “Everyone’s a puzzle,” Steven says. “It’s my job to take each individual that comes to us, figure out their medications, their doctors, if their kids play sports, and tailor a package directly to their needs.”
Why isn’t everyone doing this? “People don’t know what they don’t know,” says Steven, which is why word of mouth is so crucial. When consulting with someone looking to work with an insurance broker over an agent, Steven advises to ask three questions:
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Which plan do you and your family have?
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Can you show me three different plans for three different carriers?
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How does an MRI pay out?
A side note on MRIs: These can cost up to $12,000 at certain hospitals. As an alternative, Steven and Tonya know where to send their clients locally to get an MRI for $400. "Doing your research pays off," Steven says.
Another (major) differentiator is the fact that Steven and Tonya provide all of their own customer service, on top of building and managing a plan that works for you. So the next time you get hit with a huge bill and don't understand where it came from? No automated help menus—you can call Steven and Tonya to figure it out.
The two are full of gratitude from helping their clients and for the ability to live life on their terms. They recently came off of a two-week trip to France, a trip Steven won for his excellence as a broker.
“This is coming from a guy who was down and out drunk to winning amazing trips for helping people get the best coverage,” Steven says. “We believe in paying it forward.”
"With us, it’s all about transparency...We believe in paying it forward.”