For many, insurance is hard to understand. It is much easier to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it will take care of itself. But the fact of the matter is: we all have a choice to make. We can believe we will stay young and healthy forever and risk not having insurance OR we can choose security and live our lives without fearing the burden of emergency medical debt. We know that seeking out the right type of insurance plan can feel like throwing darts at the wall but, luckily for us all, there is another option. There is help.

Whether we're teaching our children how to climb a tree, going on a cross-country motorcycle trip, or training for a triathlon, there is a peace of mind that comes with knowing our health is covered.

To Ahmed Attia, insurance is not a necessity, it’s a passion. “The way I see it, when you’re young and healthy you pay into these premiums, and it seems like someone else is always using them in the hospital… but one day that might be you.” During his lifetime he’s owned multiple businesses and gone down many paths including leaving Egypt to live in the USA. While he owned a popular Hookah bar in the area, he found he needed major heart surgery. At that moment he knew he needed to go back into the insurance business.

There are over 900,000 bankruptcies in the US annually caused by medical bills. 28.1 million Americans are diagnosed with heart disease, 22.9 million with cancer and every 40 seconds someone suffers a stroke. We should all be educated on health insurance, but where does one start?

To begin, there are two major types of plans: HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) and PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). Both offer a network of doctors who agree to accept the plan as payment for medical services rendered. PPO plans give the customer more options for seeing doctors and specialists, and these are the plans you can expect to see when meeting with Ahmed Attia. Once you’ve made the decision to look into plans, you’ll want to consider a few things like your family health history, your current health, and family members. When meeting with an insurance agent, ask questions, look at the options, and make sure you are in the hands of someone with whom you are comfortable and who has your best interests at heart.

You shouldn’t fear living your life because an accident or unexpected health crisis could happen. You should know that you’re covered.