Life and health insurance
The policies that protect a household's income rather than its possessions: life insurance for the people who depend on you, health coverage before Medicare, disability income if you can't work, and long-term care for the years Medicare doesn't cover. Compared across carriers, explained without pressure, and, for Turkish-speaking families, in Turkish.
I'm licensed in New York for life, accident and health insurance (LA-1934647) and certified with NY State of Health. That covers term and permanent life insurance, individual and family health plans under 65, disability income insurance, long-term care, and Medicare. There is no fee for any of it; carriers pay a commission and your premium is the same whether you apply through me or directly.
The four policies
Life insurance
Term life for most working families; whole or universal life for permanent needs; final expense policies alongside Medicare planning. Sized from what your household would actually need, not from a sales target.
Life insurance →Health insurance under 65
NY State of Health marketplace plans with premium tax credits, the Essential Plan, coverage between jobs and for the self-employed, and bridging the years to Medicare.
Health insurance →Disability income insurance
Replaces part of your paycheck if illness or injury stops you working. New York's DBL pays $170 a week; that's the gap this fills.
Disability insurance →Long-term care
Medicare doesn't pay for custodial care. Traditional and hybrid long-term care policies, what they cost at 55 versus 65, and what Medicaid planning does and doesn't do.
Long-term care →And Medicare
Medicare is its own cluster on this site because it's the largest part of my practice: the Medicare overview, turning 65, and Medicare under 65 on disability. Health insurance under 65 and Medicare meet at the point where someone retires early and needs to bridge a few years; that conversation is on the health insurance page.
Needs first, then products
New York's Regulation 187 requires anyone recommending life insurance to act in the client's best interest, based on their actual financial situation. I'd do it that way regardless: the first meeting is about what your household would need if you weren't there or couldn't work, and the products follow from the number. If the honest answer is that you're already covered, I'll say so.
What I need to start
- Who depends on your income, and for how long.
- Existing coverage: employer life, group disability, current health plan.
- Basic health information and, for health plans, household income for the tax credit.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Is there a fee for working with you on life or health insurance?
No. For marketplace health plans, life insurance and disability insurance the carrier pays a commission and your premium is identical to applying directly. For Medicare plans the same applies. I'll say clearly if any product I discuss carries a fee, which for these lines it doesn't.
Can you help someone who is self-employed?
Yes, and it's most of what this cluster is about. Self-employed people in the Capital Region typically need a marketplace health plan, term life sized to their family's needs, and disability income insurance, since there's no employer plan behind them. I put the three together and price them as a set.
Do you sell annuities or investments?
No. I'm licensed for insurance, and I'm not registered to give securities or investment advice. If a life insurance recommendation touches on retirement or estate questions, I'll say where my role ends and suggest you involve your accountant or attorney.
Let's talk it through
A phone call or a message is all it takes. The first conversation is just a conversation.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work across four Capital Region counties, in person or by phone.