Amanda Johnsen, Independent Insurance Agent

10/03/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗢𝗨…𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁? 😬

This is exactly where a lot of families assume they're stuck.

But employer coverage and Marketplace coverage don't always have to be an either/or decision for the entire household.

The rules for determining whether employer coverage is considered “affordable” can work differently for the employee and their family members—which means the best solution might involve more than one type of coverage.

With Marketplace Open Enrollment coming up, this is something worth understanding before you automatically enroll everyone in the same plan.

I explain it here:

🔗 https://www.amandajohnseninsurance.com/post/when-your-employer-offers-health-insurance-can-you-still-use-the-marketplace

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, “𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁,” 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

09/26/2026

I really enjoyed being part of this Senior Support Day earlier this month! Great conversations, helpful information, and a wonderful opportunity to connect with and support seniors in our community. 💜

09/25/2026

𝗢𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽.

It's not an advertisement.

It's not junk mail.

It's your 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 (𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗖), and it tells you what your current Medicare plan is changing for next year.

The problem is that it's very easy to skim it, see your plan's name, and assume everything is staying the same.

That assumption could leave you with a surprise in January.

Before you toss yours aside, I wrote a simple explanation of what the ANOC is and what you should be looking for inside it.

🔗

It's that time of year again.If you have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug plan, you should receive an important document from your insurance company this fall called an Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC.And while it may be tempting to add it to the pile of insurance mail on the coun...

09/14/2026

Community Catch-Up! 💙

This time of year always brings a bit of a shift for me.

Throughout the spring and summer, you'll usually find me at community events, chamber gatherings, senior centers, volunteer projects, and just about anywhere else I have an opportunity to meet people and be involved.

As we get closer to fall, my calendar starts looking a little different.

The number of community events I'm able to attend starts going down... and the number of carrier trainings on my calendar goes WAY up. 😅

We're heading into Medicare Annual Enrollment and Marketplace Open Enrollment, which means I'm spending a lot of time behind the scenes learning what's changing, reviewing plans and benefits, completing certifications, attending trainings, and preparing for a very busy few months of appointments.

I've still managed to squeeze in some great community time lately, and I'm grateful for every opportunity to stay involved locally. But if you see a little less of me out and about over the next few months, there's a pretty good chance I'm either in an appointment, preparing for one, or sitting through yet another insurance training. 😂

It's part of the job that people don't always see, but it's an important one. When someone sits down across from me with questions about their coverage, I want to be prepared to help them understand their options and make an informed decision.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I also quietly celebrated three years of working for myself.

Work anniversaries hit a little differently when you're self-employed. There's no one at the office bringing balloons or showing up with your favorite flavor of Bundtini to celebrate the occasion. Some milestones come and go without much fanfare at all.

But the gratitude is there every single day.

Every morning I wake up and get to do work that I genuinely love. I get to help people, continue learning, be involved in my community, build relationships with some pretty incredible people, and keep finding new ways to grow my impact.

Three years ago, I took a chance on myself.

Today, I'm just really grateful that I did. 💙

Now... back to training. 📚

09/08/2026

One of the worst times to discover how your prescription coverage works is 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿.

"Why is this $200? It was $20 last year."

"My doctor prescribed it. Why isn't my insurance covering it?"

"It says the medication is covered, so why is it still so expensive?"

These questions can happen with both under-65 health insurance and Medicare prescription drug coverage, and sometimes the answer is hiding in something called the 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆.

If you've never looked at your plan's drug list, or aren't quite sure what you're looking at when you do, I wrote this one for you.

🔗 What Is a Health Insurance Formulary? And Why Does It Matter? https://www.amandajohnseninsurance.com/post/what-is-a-health-insurance-formulary-and-why-does-it-matter

Because “covered” doesn't always mean what we think it means.

08/22/2026

Today is International Senior Citizens Day ❤️

Today is about celebrating the seniors in our lives, but it’s also about recognizing some of the challenges older adults in our communities face.

Healthcare can be confusing. Scams increasingly target older adults. Loneliness and isolation are very real. Transportation, technology, rising costs, and simply knowing where to turn for help can all become barriers to staying healthy and independent.

I’m grateful that my work and community involvement give me so many opportunities to spend time with seniors, listen to their concerns, answer questions, and connect them with resources when I can.

Our seniors have spent decades building families, businesses, and communities. They deserve to feel valued, supported, protected, and heard. ❤️

08/11/2026

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the ribbon cutting for Lamar CISD brand-new Career & Technical Education Center, and walking through this campus, I kept thinking one thing: 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭

This place is incredible — not just because it’s huge and beautiful, but because of what is available to the students who get to learn here.

Cosmetology, robotics, drones, automotive and collision repair, patient care, dentistry, pharmacy, carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, graphic design, business, and so much more. These aren’t just classrooms, either. The spaces have been built and equipped to give students the opportunity to learn with the actual tools, technology, and equipment used in these fields.

For some students, these programs can help prepare them to step directly from high school into a career. For others, they’ll continue their education with hands-on experience, practical skills, and a head start in a field they already know they’re interested in.

Walking through the hallways and seeing all of the different possibilities available to our students was nothing short of inspiring. There’s something pretty special about giving kids the opportunity to discover what they’re good at and experience different career paths before they ever leave high school.

I’ve had the opportunity to do some work with Lamar CISD CTE program already, and after seeing everything they’re building for these students, I’m even more excited to continue that relationship and find more ways to be involved in the future.

What an incredible investment in the students of our community and in all of the places they may go from here. ❤️

08/09/2026

Does anyone else get way too excited about a new planner?

I buy the same planner every year, usually around this time because somehow things are already starting to make their way onto the calendar for the next year.

But this year I found my favorite planner in TURQUOISE. 💙

My favorite planner + my favorite color? Add to cart. 😂

There's just something about opening a brand-new planner and seeing an entire year of blank pages ahead.

Right now, I have no idea what will eventually fill all of those pages, the people I'll meet, the appointments I'll have, the events I'll attend, the opportunities that haven't even presented themselves yet, or how many people I'll have the privilege of helping along the way.

I have a feeling there are a lot of good things waiting to fill those pages. 💙

08/05/2026

Earlier this week, I had a phone call that has stayed with me.

An 80-year-old gentleman called with questions about his Medicare Supplement plan. I wasn't the agent who originally helped him, so before I answered his questions, we called the insurance company together to verify exactly what coverage he had.

We confirmed he had a standard Medicare Supplement Plan F, and once I knew exactly what coverage he had, we spent about an hour talking through how his plan worked.

At one point he asked, "So does that mean I have to pay out of pocket before my plan starts paying?"

I smiled and said, "No sir. With your Plan F, as long as it's a Medicare-approved service, you're about as close to holding the golden ticket as you can get."

There was a long pause.

Then, in a much quieter voice, he said, "I haven't told you yet... something is going on, and I need to see a doctor. Part of why I've been putting it off for a few months is because I didn't know what my insurance would cover."

In that moment, I could hear the weight lifting from his shoulders.

Before we hung up, he thanked me over and over for taking the time to explain everything. Then he said something I'll probably never forget.

He told me our conversation had been "serendipitous."

There wasn't a policy sold that call.

There wasn't a commission earned.

But knowing someone finally felt confident enough to get the care they had been putting off because they understood their coverage... that feeling is hard to put into words.

It reminded me that sometimes the most valuable thing I can do isn't help someone choose an insurance plan.

Sometimes it's simply helping them understand the one they already have.

05/20/2026

One thing I’ve been reflecting on a lot since the Community Book Drive ended is just how many incredible local businesses and community members helped bring it to life. 💙

What meant the most to me was that none of it felt transactional. It truly felt like people coming together to support something meaningful for kids in our community.

Because of the response this year, I’ve already started quietly preparing and organizing for next year’s event behind the scenes.

One of the biggest things I learned this year is that people wanted to help in all kinds of different ways, not just through raffle prizes or donations.

Some businesses donated prizes.
Some contributed swag bag items.
Some volunteered their time.
Some helped spread awareness online.
Some supported behind the scenes however they could.

Because of that, I’ve created an interest form for anyone who may want to be involved with next year’s Community Book Drive in some way. The form includes opportunities for:

📚 Raffle prize sponsors
📚 Swag bag contributors
📚 Swag bag assembly volunteers
📚 Event station sponsors
📚 Event support volunteers
📚 Or simply “I’m interested, but not sure yet”

I’m excited to continue growing this event in a thoughtful way while keeping the heart behind it the same. 💙

If you’d like to stay in the loop for next year’s Community Book Drive, you can sign up here:

www.amandajohnseninsurance.com/book-drive