Health Plan Assistants

Health Plan Assistants is an independent, locally owned insurance agency in St. George, Utah, with an office at 2736 E Red Cliffs Dr, Suite 2. The agency helps Southern Utah residents compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and prescription drug (Part D) coverage, along with individual and family health plans through the ACA Marketplace. Health Plan Assistants is a DBA of Medicare Assistant LLC, a licensed health insurance agency.

The agency states that its help is always free: there is no charge for a consultation, and a review carries no obligation to enroll. Insurance premiums and other plan costs are separate and are set by each policy. The team includes Riley Garner, who works with Medicare and individual and family coverage, and Katelyn Garner, who works with Medicare.

How a review works

Health Plan Assistants describes its process as starting with the client rather than with a product. Clients are asked to bring a list of their doctors, the prescriptions they take with doses, their preferred pharmacy, their budget, and any insurance notice they have received. The agency then confirms whether those doctors and prescriptions are covered under the specific plans being considered before anyone enrolls. Walk-ins are welcome during office hours, and the agency states that an agent is physically in the office. Help is also available by phone; the agency states that it is licensed in all 50 states and works with clients nationwide by phone.

Health Plan Assistants states that it is authorized to offer plans from SelectHealth, Humana and UnitedHealthcare. Like any agency, it does not offer every plan available in every area, and plan availability varies by county and coverage year. Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE and Utah's State Health Insurance Assistance Program remain the official sources for a full list of options.

Medicare decisions in Southern Utah

Washington County has one of the fastest-growing populations of older adults in Utah. St. George, Washington, Santa Clara, Ivins and Hurricane have drawn steady retiree relocation for decades, which means many residents are choosing Medicare coverage for the first time, or choosing it in a new state with a different set of doctors and hospitals than the ones they left behind.

Provider networks are the practical issue. A Medicare Advantage plan that works well in another state may have a very different network in Washington County, and part-year residents who spend summers elsewhere need to know how a plan handles care outside its service area. Medicare Supplement policies raise different questions about premiums, travel and changing coverage later. Prescription coverage depends on each plan's drug list, restrictions and pharmacy network, so the same medication can cost very different amounts from one plan to the next.

Timing matters too. Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and the Initial Enrollment Period spans the seven months around a person's 65th birthday. Missing a window can mean waiting a year or paying a late-enrollment penalty, which is why many people review their coverage every fall even if they expect to keep it.

Situations the agency helps with

• Turning 65, including questions about a younger spouse's coverage


• Receiving a notice that a current plan is ending


• Annual reviews of existing Medicare coverage


• Coordinating Medicare with VA benefits and TRICARE for Life


• Retiring after 65 and leaving employer coverage


• Medicare and Medicaid together, including Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP)


• Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNP)


• Individual and family Marketplace coverage for people under 65

Visiting the office

The St. George office at 2736 E Red Cliffs Dr, Suite 2 is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. It is closed Sunday, and holiday hours may differ. Appointments can be booked online at yourhealthplanassistant.com or by calling (435) 466-7213.