Field notes
Field Notes
Real situations from my calls, one at a time: who the person was, the moment that sent them looking for help, the choices on the table, and how their state handles it. Anonymized, sourced and dated.
Ryan Michalek, Licensed Health & Life Insurance Agent, NPN 21043091. Last updated November 12, 2026 · Read my Google reviews
What are these field notes?
Each note is one real situation I handled, with names and health details removed: a person at a specific point in life, the decision in front of them, and how the rules work in their state. They are written to help someone in the same spot see their options before they call. New notes are added about once a week.
Latest notes
- COBRA ending, family in two states (November 12, 2026). A North Texas executive turned consultant, a child at college in another state, and no marketplace PPO anywhere in Texas for 2027.
The life moments these notes follow
Most people don’t search for “health insurance” out of nowhere. Something changes first, and the notes are organized around those turns:
- A job plan ends. Layoffs, buyouts and COBRA clocks, and what each state adds on top. Start with COBRA and its alternatives.
- Going out on your own. Executives turned consultants, realtors, contractors and new LLC owners buying a plan for the first time: self-employed coverage.
- Retiring before Medicare. Bridging the years between a work plan and 65 without a subsidy: early retiree coverage.
- Right at the subsidy line. Couples and families whose income could land on either side of it, and how to plan for both.
- Kids leaving home. A child at college in another state, or turning 26: what changes at 26, state by state.
- A move or a spouse’s plan changing. New state, new rules, or a work plan that renews in the spring: family coverage.
How I write them
Every note starts from a real call. I change details that could identify anyone, leave out health information, and never name an insurance company. Facts about a state’s rules or prices come from the statute, the state’s insurance department or exchange, or federal plan data, and each note says when it was checked. If your situation looks like one of these, the state pages go deeper, and the 2027 county data shows what each county offers: start with the 31 states I’m licensed in.
In their words
“Ryan is great! He helped me find a plan that would help my family and I during this transition time.”
— Michelle B.
See yourself in one of these? Let's talk.
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