Hi, my name is Jim Scheihing. I am a lifelong Oklahoman (minus the 6 months in Florida during college). I grew up in Edmond, where my wife and I raised our children. Now that the kids are grown, we’ve made our home in Guthrie, and I still come to work every day at our office in Edmond.
When I am not working. I enjoy serving my church, traveling with my family, mountain biking, and playing disc golf. For years, I was also involved with my sons’ Scout troop and my daughter’s American Heritage Girls troop.
I got my start in health insurance in 1990 as a captive agent with Mutual of Omaha. I was 18 years old and didn’t yet understand what “captive” meant: I could only offer one company’s plans. I quickly learned I wanted to find the plan that was best for my client, not talk them into the only plan I was allowed to sell.
Two years later, I left to become an independent broker. That was the best move of my career. Since 1992, I have been able to compare plans from many insurance companies and recommend the one that actually fits.
When the Affordable Care Act arrived, I will admit, I wasn’t sure about it at first. But by 2013, I saw how many people needed help, and I jumped in. Even with more than 20 years of experience behind me, it took a while to figure out the Marketplace. What I loved was that, for the first time in my career, I could get coverage for people with pre-existing conditions who had no options before.
I still remember a call from a mother whose daughter had just lost her high-risk pool coverage while she was in the hospital. It took more than 20 hours on the phone with the government’s new system, but we got her covered. That was a good day, and it’s why I still do this work.
Today, more than 35 years in, the promise is the same one I made at 20: I’ll help you find the right plan, even if it isn’t with us. Using an agent doesn’t change your premium, so there’s no reason not to have someone in your corner.
-Jim Scheihing, Owner, Insure It Forward · Licensed health insurance agent · Edmond, Oklahoma