Before You Get Sick, Do This to Protect Your Finances | Courteney Petravage
Before You Get Sick, Do This to Protect Your Finances | Courteney Petravage  
Podcast: The INNER Estate with Bridget Ann Stuart
Published On: Fri May 22 2026
Description: Health insurance can feel confusing, expensive, and easy to ignore until a medical bill shows up. But medical costs are not going down, and one unexpected diagnosis, emergency room visit, surgery, prescription, or hospital stay can quickly become a serious financial burden. Courteney Petravage, founder of Petravage Insurance, joins The Inner Estate Podcast to talk about health insurance, medical bills, financial protection, and why choosing the cheapest plan may not actually protect you when you need coverage most. Courteney specializes in helping self-employed professionals, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, individuals, families, and small business owners understand their health insurance options before a crisis happens. She explains why health insurance is not just about doctor visits or monthly premiums. It is about protecting your income, savings, family, business, and future from medical debt, unexpected health care costs, and the financial stress that can come with getting sick or injured. We also go deeper into faith, sobriety, stewardship, personal responsibility, and what it means to build a business around service instead of pressure. Courteney shares how she became an international bestselling author, how her faith reshaped her identity, and why getting honest about struggles can become the first step toward healing, peace, and freedom. Episode Highlights • Why health insurance matters before a crisis • How medical bills can threaten your finances • The real purpose of health insurance • Why the cheapest plan may not protect you • What entrepreneurs and self-employed people need to know • How small businesses can explore better options • Why prescriptions and health history matter • When family members may need different plans • The difference between having coverage and understanding it • How a broker can help during claims • When paying cash for care may make sense • Tools for researching medical procedure costs • Courteney's journey into insurance • Becoming an international bestselling author • How faith shapes her work and identity • Her sobriety journey and personal growth • Why vulnerability can lead to healing • The importance of telling someone when you're struggling Book Mentioned Six Figure Chicks. Available on Amazon now Courteney Petravage is a co-author in Six Figure Chicks Scottsdale Vol 2 and became an international bestselling author through the project. Her chapter shares her personal testimony, faith journey, and the deeper legacy she wants to leave behind beyond business success. Resources Mentioned TryBilly.app A health care pricing resource Courteney recommended for searching specific CPT codes or procedure names. It can help show average charges and regional cost ranges for medical services, dental services, hospital procedures, and health care costs. ClearHealthCosts.com A crowdsourced health care cost transparency resource that collects real consumer reported prices and investigative journalism around medical bills, hospital costs, dental pricing, and health care expenses. About Courteney Petravage Courteney Petravage is the founder of Petravage Insurance, a health insurance brokerage based in Arizona. She helps self-employed professionals, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, families, individuals, and small business owners understand their health insurance options and choose coverage that fits their actual needs. After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in communication, Courteney entered the health insurance industry during the COVID era, when many people were losing employer benefits, changing jobs, starting businesses, and trying to figure out what to do about health coverage. That experience opened her eyes to how many people were confused, underinsured, uninsured, or paying for plans they did not fully understand. Today, Courteney is known for taking a personal, educational, and client-centered approach to health insurance. She helps clients compare health insurance plans, understand premiums, deductibles, prescriptions, claims, networks, medical bills, and coverage options. She also supports clients after enrollment by helping them navigate claims, hospital billing questions, insurance company communication, and unexpected health care expenses. Courteney is also an international bestselling author, one of the top agents in her brokerage, and is on track to become debt free. Her story blends entrepreneurship, faith, sobriety, stewardship, personal growth, and a deep commitment to helping people protect themselves before life changes overnight. Connect with Courteney Petravage Website: https://petravageinsurance.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehealthinsurancegirl_/ Facebook: Petravage Insurance LinkedIn: Courteney Petravage About Bridget Ann Stuart Bridget Ann Stuart is the host of The Inner Estate Podcast, a Realtor since 1998, and the CEO and Head Coach of Strategic Performance Coaching. Her work sits at the intersection of mindset, execution, leadership, business growth, and personal growth. Bridget brings real conversations to the table with entrepreneurs, real estate professionals, leaders, creators, coaches, authors, and high performers who are willing to talk about the inner work behind external results. Her mission is to help people think more deeply, act more intentionally, and build success that is aligned, sustainable, and real. Connect with Bridget Website: therealbridgetstuart.com | theinnerestate.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealbridgetstuart YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealBridgetStuart Interested in Being a Guest? The Inner Estate Podcast welcomes meaningful conversations with entrepreneurs, leaders, real estate professionals, coaches, authors, and high performers with a story, lesson, or perspective that can help others grow. Schedule here: https://calendly.com/bridgetstuart67/theinnerestatepodcast