[00:00:00] Welcome to the Phoenix Business Brief Podcast. I'm Brian Hyde, and today I'm joined by Cameron Lane. He is the founder and president of Cameron Health Insurance Group. Cameron, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. So, let's get a little bit of background. I know we're gonna talk about some really important stuff, uh, particularly regarding, you know, health insurance. But tell us a little bit about yourself and about your background. Did, did I hear correctly? You were, you were a professional poker player. That is true. Another, it feels like a lifetime ago. Uh, yeah. So from 21 to about 20, almost 26, I played poker full-time in Pittsburgh. Um, and then did okay and decided to do my own thing. And here we are almost three years later, so I have to ask, uh, you know, bridge the gap for me. What, uh, what caused the transition from professional poker player to, uh, to starting your own, uh, health insurance group. Oh yeah. That, that's a natural jump, right? Um, so for me personally, uh, I knew [00:01:00] people in my world complaining about health insurance, so it was kind of an easy thing to naturally, uh, jump to. And I wanted something that I know I could build where I wasn't tied to the hourly poker. Good hourly, I miss it, but a little bit. But you can't make money when you're not playing, essentially. Unless you know, you buy Bitcoin or something crazy and it goes up a hundred x, but other than that you can't really, so I needed a business that I could do by myself 'cause I am kind of a loaner type and something that would eventually pay me once it gets built. So health insurance, you know, with natural fit and I knew there was a big issue with the market and a big need for people that know what they're talking about and aren't just trying to like sell people and try to make quick buck. So. It's kind of kind of where I landed. Let's, let's talk about, uh, some of the needs that, that you see. Um, I think this is probably gonna be familiar to a lot of people when it comes to, to health insurance. I mean, if you don't have an employer that has a health plan and is taking [00:02:00] care of you, um, it's kind of like a jungle out there finding, you know, coverage that that's affordable that'll actually, you know, provide something for you. Yeah. Uh, so for that, it's, it's really tough because the last thing I was talking to of. With a friend of mine in Florida that does the same thing he said, the last estimate was there's a shortage of about 15,000 agents in Florida. And Florida is the number one like agent per capita. And if you take out all of the unethical agents, you're probably gonna like triple that. So, and then if you get rid of all the captive agents as well, it probably just goes up to like, there's just nobody that is ethical and. There's a very small number of people that are ethical and are actually brokers that can help people, certain solutions. Uh, so it's definitely, it's a market that is very unsaturated and there's just a giant opportunity there. So talk to me about, uh, what, what are some of the particular concerns that, uh, people face? You know, if, if you [00:03:00] don't have, uh, an employer or a spouse, you know, that that's providing coverage that you can be a part of if you're out there looking for it. What are some of the, the typical, uh, hills that have to be climbed? Uh, it's just expensive. It's, it's basically at this point, I think where I'm at in Arizona, the average, like a CA marketplace plan is over $2,000 a month for a family of four, and the enhanced tax credits just went away. So a lot of people have to pay that full amount. Now, if you're going through the marketplace, and most people don't realize that there are alternative solutions, but they have to be tailored for that specific person. You can't just say, Hey, this is a one size fits all. It costs a lot less. So that is definitely out there and yeah, I mean two, two over $2,000 a month. That's more than probably you, your mortgage payment. So it's uh, it's wild. It's a second mortgage payment, essentially just for health insurance where it doesn't pay right away if you need to use it, but it's like, what are we even doing here? No, I, it actually, I mean, [00:04:00] you're, you're speaking to concerns that I, I've not only heard other people talk about, but experienced myself, you know, anyone who is in business for themself, um, contractors, independent, uh, you know mm-hmm. Contractors and the like, um, this, this is a real challenge for them. Um, tell me what you offer, you know, as, as an independent health insurance broker, what can you do that, uh, you know, sometimes the big plans can't do. It sounds like, like maybe you have some flexibility that they don't. Yeah, so I have direct contact with all of the different options, uh, different carriers, stuff that's underwritten, stuff that's, you know, flexible, things like that. So I have good knowledge on the industry and I'm not, I didn't get into this trying to make a quick buck. So I just tell people like, Hey, this is the pros and cons I here your different options. And then let them decide what they want. And it is, it is confusing 'cause it's, it's a very unique industry where nobody really knows what's going on. It costs so much money. Like everybody knows why you have car insurance. You [00:05:00] know, people are like, oh, I have health insurance, because if something happens, but then it doesn't even work when something happens half the time. So like, what are we even doing here? Uh, and it's just getting worse and worse and more confusing. And that's kind of where I bridge the gap. And it, it's free assistance for people, so it doesn't cost anything to use me directly. Whereas you can just go do it yourself and hope for the best, or you can go through me and it's essentially free and we make sure there's no issues going down the line. You're gonna pay regardless. It's just you wanna pay the least amount over the lifetime of having your own health insurance. Tell me a little bit about some of the, uh, the training and some of the, the expertise you have had to develop in order to provide that, uh, you know, that solution. Uh, it's. It's a learning game. So I have friends now that are in a lot of different states. They're in the same situation that I am in, so we bounce ideas off each other all the time. Uh, hey, and then I have direct contact with all of the carriers. So I say, Hey, is this, you know, what's changing in this industry? And they let us know as well. So it's definitely, [00:06:00] you learn a lot and you learn a lot about what people find important, the right questions to ask. Making sure people aren't surprised ever. That is important. Because if you sell them something that doesn't work for what they need, they're gonna leave. And I've gotten so many clients that way, 'cause somebody sold 'em something that they didn't understand how it worked and didn't work, didn't work how they thought they was, it was gonna work. And then they're like, Hey, I need a new guy for this. And it's one of those things where it's, it's like a CPA or a financial advisor. You wanna find one guy that you'd like and trust and that does the right thing for you, and then you never have to look again. And that's essentially what I refer myself in the industry as. I've had, you know, over 95% retention rate over almost three years, and the industry average is like 79%. So like, year to year people keep the same broker. Um, so that's something I've definitely focused on in my business to make sure that I stand out. Talk to me too about, uh, you know, the, the, the changes that come about and specifically, [00:07:00] um, I had this perception that, uh, it seems like every year. It gets a little bit more expensive or the coverage change or the deductible goes up or something like that. Yep. Is is that, uh, it is not just my imagination, is it? No. Uh, it's is kind of a trend in the country. Everything's getting worse, but more expensive at the same time. I don't really know how, like, I'm not a financial guy or an economic, but somebody smarter than me could probably explain that. But, uh, yeah, I mean, it's, it's one of those things, it keeps getting more expensive. It keeps getting worse, and it's like, what the hell is going on? There's nothing really I can do on that end. I can just help people get the right thing for their situation. I can't change the rules. Not a politician, not a lobbyist. Maybe one day gimme a couple million dollars, we'll, we'll make some good changes, but maybe billions, I don't know. But uh, yeah, I mean it's, it's tough. It's tough for people. Well, it, I mean, it sounds like you're, you're willing to go to, to the mat for your clients. Um, let me ask you this. If you had the, the power to make some [00:08:00] changes or reforms, you know, as it pertains to health insurance, what are some things you would like to see happen that that might, to ease that, that burden? So, most people, like if you go on the internet, you can probably find some ideas. But in life, I think everybody has two or three things they can really speak on. And everybody and then everything else, you can probably just be like, Hey, I don't, I don't know. But most people just say what they want anyways. Um, for me, one of the two or three things that I know a lot about is this stuff. Uh, so I can speak on it pretty confidently. I think there are two major things politically that can happen, but they're both political suicide as in, as in you can't make it happen. 'cause if you say you're gonna do it, you're not gonna get voted in. So it will never happen essentially. One of them is obviously universal healthcare. Everybody talks about that all the time. Um, that is going to be, it's a fun talking point, but once you figure out how to pay for it, nobody's gonna vote for it. So, and then if you find out what the features are of that, it's just gonna, and I could talk [00:09:00] about this for hours, so I won't, but that is never gonna happen in America. Most people don't want it to happen. It's just, it's fun to be like, oh, it's free. You know, it's, but then you find out how to pay for it and it's like, whoa, whoa, calm down. Actually, I would love it. I mean, take a moment here and I mean, I, I'm probably gonna be on the very same page with you here, but, uh, universal healthcare. Wow. That sounds like such a great thing. Everybody has, nobody really has to pay for it. Um, okay. Where's there's a fallacy at work there. Yeah. What are we getting wrong when we think that, wow, we're gonna get this for free and it's just gonna be great. Right. Um. I mean, it's great because people dying on the street of preventable diseases is a terrible image, but that's a very small portion of people that exist because the ER still has to take you if you go into the er, no matter if you have $0 or a hundred million dollars. Um, but ask anybody that has moved here from like, you know, UK or something. And I have a British friend now here in Arizona, and he's like, yeah, universal. It's terrible. Like you pay [00:10:00] so much money for it. You get beat to death with taxes and you can't get an employment for anything. Um, so that, that's a big problem. And it's gonna pull from the business owner class, which are people that kind of make all the rules anyways in a way. Uh, so they're, they're not gonna vote for it. Once you figure out you have to get another Medicare tax. 'cause I pay 15% Medicare tax because I'm self-employed. If I have to pay 30% Medicare tax, I can't have a business basically. Um, and I'm a solo shop with explanation. I'm a solo shop with no storefront. So what are these people with? Like restaurants gonna do? They're screwed. Could be McDonald's and Starbucks everywhere, I guess. But, uh, that's one, that's one o option, but it's never gonna get voted in for all of the reasons I just said. And the other option is you have to do something like Switzerland, where, and it's kind of like it segues into two options essentially. Switzerland has the, it's universal healthcare for basic checkup stuff like you can go to PCP for free, [00:11:00] uh, which America has that too, to a lesser extent. But, uh, you can go to PCP for free, but if you end up in the er, you have to pay insurance for that catastrophic stuff like car insurance. Um, and it's mandatory US tried to do a mandatory health insurance, but there's so many people you can't lease it and you can't really find people. You know, it was like, I don't know what the number was, like a thousand dollars tax line. It's like that's, that's half a month of a premium, so nobody cares. Um, that's, that's an option. And then another option is have some sort of underwriting process where people that are healthy and young can get a discount because that doesn't exist. Like I pay the same price as somebody who uses it every week. My age. Um. And that, that's another like get, I'm just making up numbers. Be like, Hey, if you pass this basic underwriting, you get a 30% discount or something. That'll get a lot more younger, healthier people into the pool, which lowers the cost for everyone anyways. [00:12:00] Um, that's another option which kind of exists. It's just people don't really know where to look and how to find it. Cameron, let's, let's, does that make, hopefully that makes sense actually. Yeah, it's, I I think you're doing a marvelous job of explaining how this works and, and for people who've been feeling frustration, it's like, well, there is somebody out there who gets it. So, with that in mind, talk to me about who is your ideal customer? Who, who needs to be in touch with you to, to address their, uh, health insurance needs? Yeah, so basically anybody that's 10 99 contractors, real estate agents, mortgage brokers that don't get their benefits through a company or a spouse. So it's free to use me. And it's one of those things that it can really change the trajectory of your finances if you have the right person in place, because it's not necessarily, like everybody knows to shop their car insurance every six months. Now you can save, you know, 700 bucks a year or whatever. Um, but people don't really know where to go for good health insurance help. And like I said, nobody knows really like what they're looking at. [00:13:00] Whereas car insurance people kind of know now 'cause they just look at it so often. They're like, this is ridiculous. But, uh, yeah, so basically any, any business owner, any self-employed person, um, it can really change your trajectory because if you have the right policy in place for your specific situation, not only can you save a bunch of money front, but you also are covered. If something happens that is like your kid plays sports and you don't have an accident plan, he breaks his leg in football, you're gonna lose 10 grand. You're paying the out of pocket, but if you have an accident plan that costs you a Starbucks, you pay nothing. And that is in there. And it covers sports injuries, just as an example. Um, so that, that's, you know, I found the value of my ads, which is amazing because you set people up in those situations and then it actually happens and they're like, shit, I don't pay anything. This has never happened, ever. I went to the ER and paid nothing. This has been great. Oh, that's gotta be good. It's, yep. We predicted that a year ago. What do you wish more people understood about, uh, the [00:14:00] kind of work that you do? It's, it's tough 'cause it's an industry where nobody knows what's going on, so I think that's a really hard one to answer. I think people are under the impression where they're like, Hey, I have a health insurance plan. I'm good. You know, nothing, nothing could possibly happen. It's like, well, not really. Uh, and then there's a whole bunch of like, tax advantage stuff that people miss. Health insurance. I'm not an accountant, but I know enough to like be dangerous. Uh, health insurance is a top line item, so even if you use the standard deduction, and hopefully I don't get corrected by somebody in this, but even if you pick the standard deduction, you don't itemize, you still get to deduct your health insurance, which everybody misses. Uh, especially if they do easy taxes where they don't have a ton of itemizing stuff. Um, HSA stuff is stuff that I can help facilitate. It's just. So many things that nobody really knows what's going on. No, that's, I I just, I'm operating from [00:15:00] the assumption there's, there's, most of us don't know what we don't know perhaps. And I'm sure that that, uh, that's probably a place where, you know, you mentioned when people are prepared, they're surprised. 'cause I, I, I kinda labor into the idea that, well, you know, it's pretty much one size fits all. But after this conversation, I'm thinking, no, it really isn't. Uh, this is why we need someone like Cameron to, to steer us in the right direction. So with that in mind. What's the best way for people to find you and to find your business? Uh, well, I have two phones now and both my phone numbers are listed literally everywhere. I have a Google listing, which is my Pittsburgh phone number. I just moved here a couple months ago. And then I have my Arizona number, which is listed everywhere. Uh, it's very easy to get in contact with me, which I think is very important. Uh, if you own a business and people aren't, they don't know how to get in touch with you or they have to take an extra step to get in touch with you, that's not. It's not gonna work. Uh, you're gonna miss so many deals that way. So I made it as easy as possible for people to have my number and be quick to answer and have a website, Facebook, [00:16:00] all this stuff. Uh, Cameron Health IN s.com. We're talking with, uh, Cameron Lane. He is the founder and president of Cameron Health Insurance Group. Listen, I appreciate you, uh, opening my eyes today on this, and, uh, wish you the very best. Thanks for joining us today on the Phoenix Business Brief Podcast. Yep. Thanks for having me on.