USA Benefits Group - Dick Tracy

09/08/2026

If you live in Buffalo and pay for your own health insurance, here's something nobody has told you. The marketplace is one door. It is not the only door. There are pre-established group plans a person can merge into. Group rates, low deductibles, a real nationwide PPO, and you own the policy no matter who you work for. I educate, you decide. Who do you know that buys their own coverage?

09/05/2026

Five things nobody tells you about marketplace health insurance in New York. Number 2 is the one that gets people. I educate, you decide.

09/04/2026

Quick one for the small business owners: if your group plan renewal came in higher this year, you're not stuck with it. There are more ways to cover a team than one carrier's renewal letter suggests. Ask me how. Educate, you decide.

09/03/2026

New York insurers just asked the state for about 21% more on individual plans and about 25% more on small group plans for 2027. Those are their own filings with the Department of Financial Services. The state usually trims the ask. For three years running the letter has still said increase. Here's what nobody tells Buffalo families and business owners: that letter is not the only option. I educate, you decide. What did your last renewal letter say?

09/01/2026

Another state added! Now licensed to help individuals, families & the self-employed with health insurance in 25 states.

Not in one of the 25 states? Ask me anyway. I may still be able to point you in the right direction.

08/27/2026

What's the difference between a PPO, HMO, EPO and POS?

Most people pick a plan by the monthly price and never look at the letters. The letters are the whole ballgame.

PPO: No gatekeeper. See any doctor, in or out of network, no referral needed. You pay for that freedom.
HMO: Cheapest premium. You pick a primary care doctor, stay in network, and get a referral before you see a specialist.
EPO: The middle child. No referrals, no P*P requirement, but zero out-of-network coverage. Step outside the network and you are paying cash.
POS: HMO rules with a PPO escape hatch. Referrals required, but you can go out of network if you are willing to pay more.

Dick Tracy, Your Insurance Detective
Licensed in 25 states, 80+ carriers
Buffalo, NY

08/19/2026

The health insurance “subsidy cliff” is no longer just a policy debate. It’s officially arriving in policyholders’ mailboxes.

With the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, many individuals, families, self-employed professionals and small business owners are seeing significantly higher 2026 health insurance premiums.

The numbers are staggering:

📈 26% average ACA premium increase
💸 114% projected average increase in what subsidized enrollees would pay if they kept the same plan
📉 4.8 million people were projected to lose or drop health insurance coverage

If your 2026 ACA Marketplace renewal came in much higher than expected, don’t automatically assume your only choices are paying the new premium or going uninsured.

There may be other health insurance options worth comparing, especially if you’re self-employed, pay for your own coverage, or make too much to qualify for Marketplace subsidies.

I’m a health insurance broker based in the Buffalo, NY area and work with individuals and families in 25 states.

Are you seeing these price jumps in your renewal notice yet?

716-503-1113

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

Your health insurance didn’t double because of anything you did. The subsidy cliff hit January, and there’s an April tax trap hiding inside it.